C1RTIMRRYAT 


n 


JNIVCRSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  OIEQO 


4-r 


*3 


J  A  P  H  E  T 

W 


SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER, 


BY 


CAPTAIN      MARRYAT, 

AITHOR    OF 

*PTTEB  SDtPLE,"  "JACOB  FAJTHTCL,"  "KB.  MUWlilPMA^  KAST,"  TCKL,  ITO. 


NEW  YORK: 
D.   APPLETON    AND    COMPANY, 

1894. 


15201 


JAPHBT  Df  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER 


CHAPTER    I. 

LIKE  MOST  OTHER  CHILDREN,  WHO   SHOULD  BE  MY  GODFATHER  IS  DE- 
CIDED BY  MAMMON SO  PRECOCIOUS  AS  TO  MAKE   SOME    NOISE  IN 

THE  WORLD,  AND  BE  HUNG  A  FEW  DAYS  AFTER  I  WAS  BORN CUT 

DOWN  IN  TIME,  AND  PRODUCE  A  SCENE  OF  BLOODSHED MY  EARLY 

PROPENSITIES   FULLY   DEVELOPED   BY  THE   CHOICE  OF  MY  PROFES- 
SION. 

THOSE  who  may  be  pleased  to  honour  these  pages  with  a  pero- 
sai,  will  not  be  detained  with  a  long  introductory  history  of  my 
birth,  parentage,  and  education.  Tho  very  title  implies  that,  at 
this  period  of  my  memoirs,  I  was  ignorant  of  the  two  first ;  and 
it  will  be  necessary  for  the  due  development  of  my  narrative, 
that  I  allow  them  to  remain  in  the  same  state  of  bliss  ;  for  in  the 
perusal  of  a  tale,  as  well  as  in  the  pilgrimage  of  life,  ignorance 
of  the  future  may  truly  be  considered  as  the  greatest  source  of 
happiness  The  little  that  was  known  of  me  tR,  this  tune  1 
will  however  narrate  as  concisely,  and  as  correctly,  as  I  am  able. 

It  was  on  the 1  really  forget  the  date,  and  must  rise  from 

my  chair,  look  for  a  key,  open  a  closet,  and  then  open  an  iron 
Hufe  to  hunt  over  a  pile  of  papers — it  will  detain  you  too.  long 
—it  will  be  sufficient  to  say  that  it  was  on  a  night but 


s  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHEh. 

But  there  was  a  postscript  by  Abraham  Newland,  Esq.,  pro- 
mising to  pay  the  bearer,  on  demand,  the  sum  of  fifty  pounds. 
In  plainer  terms,  there  was  a  bank  note  to  that  amount  in- 
closed in  the  letter.  As  in  general  the  parties  who  suspend 
children  in  baskets,  have  long  before  suspended  cash  payments, 
or,  at  all  events,  forget  to  suspend  them  with  the  baskets,  my  ar- 
rival created  no  little  noise,  to  which  I  added  my  share,  until  I 
obtained  a  share  of  the  breast  of  a  young  woman,  who,  lik« 
Charity,  suckled  two  or  three  babes  at  one  time. 

We  have  preparatory  schools  all  over  the  kingdom  ;  foi 
young  gentlemen,  from  three  to  five  years  of  age,  under  ladies, 
and  from  four  to  seven,  under  either,  or  both  sexes,  as  it  may 
happen  ;  but  the  most  preparatory  of  all  preparatory  schools, 
is  certainly  the  Foundling  Hospital,  which  takes  in  its  pupils,  if 
they  are  sent,  from  one  to  three  days  old,  or  even  hours,  if  the 
parents  are  in  such  extreme  anxiety  about  their  education. 
Here  it  commences  with  their  weaning,  when  they  are  instructed 
in  the  mystery  of  devouring  pap  ;  next,  they  are  taught  to  walk 
— and  as  soon  as  they  can  walk — to  sit  still ;  to  talk  ;  and  as 
soon  as  they  can  talk — to  hold  their  tongues  ;  thus  are  they 
instructed  and  passed  on  from  one  part  of  the  establishment  to 
another,  until  they  finally  are  passed  out  of  its  gates,  to  get  on 
in  the  world,  with  the  advantages  of  some  education,  and  the 
still  further  advantage  of  having  no  father  or  mother  to  provide 
for,  or  relatives  to  pester  them  with  their  necessities.  It  was 
so  with  me  :  I  arrived  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  notwith- 
standing the  promise  contained  in  the  letter,  it  appeared  that 
circumstances  did  not  permit  of  my  being  reclaimed.  But  I 
had  a  great  advantage  over  the  other  inmates  of  the  hospital ; 
the  fifty  pounds  sent  with  me  were  not  added  to  the  funds  of 
the  establishment,  but  generously  employed  for  my  benefit  by 
the  governors,  who  were  pleased  with  my  conduct,  and  thought 
highly  of  my  abilities.  Instead  of  being  bound  'prentice  to  a 
cordwainer,  or  some  other  mechanic,  by  the  influence  of  the 
governors,  added  to  the  fifty  pounds  and  interest,  as  a  premium, 
I  was  taken  by  an  apothecary,  who  engaged  to  bring  me  up  to 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  9 

the  profession.     And  now,  that  I  am  out  of  the  Foundling,  we 
must  not  travel  quite  so  fast. 

The  practitioner  who  thus  took  me  by  the  hand  was  a  Mr- 
Phineas  Cophagus,  whose  house  was  most  conveniently  situated 
for  business,  one  side  of  the  shop  looking  upon  Smithfield  Mar- 
ket, the  other  presenting  a  surface  of  glass  to  the  principal 
street  leading  out  of  the  same  market.  It  was  a  corner  house, 
but  not  in  a  corner.  On  each  side  of  the  shop  were  two  giu 
establishments,  and  next  to  them  were  two  public-houses,  and 
then  two  eating-houses,  frequented  by  graziers,  butchers,  and 
drovers.  Did  the  men  drink  so  much  as  to  quarrel  in  their 
cups,  who  was  so  handy  to  plaster  up  the  broken  heads  as  Mr. 
Cophagus  ?  Did  a  fat  grazier  eat  himself  into  an  apoplexy, 
how  very  convenient  was  the  ready  lancet  of  Mr.  Cophagus  ? 
Did  a  bull  gore  a  man,  Mr.  Cophagus  appeared  with  his  dia- 
chylon and  lint.  Did  an  ox  frighten  a  lady,  it  was  in  the  back 
parlor  of  Mr.  Cophagus  that  she  was  recovered  from  her  syn- 
cope. Market  days  were  a  sure  market  to  my  master  ;  and  if 
an  over-driven  beast  knocked  down  others,  it  only  helped  to  set 
him  on  his  legs.  Our  window  suffered  occasionally  ;  but 
whether  it  were  broken  heads,  or  broken  limbs,  or  broken  win- 
dows, they  were  well  paid  for.  Every  one  suffered  but  Mr. 
Phineas  Cophagus,  who  never  suffered  a  patient  to  escape  him. 
The  shop  had  the  usual  allowance  of  green,  yellow,  and  blue  bot- 
tles ;  and  in  hot  weather,  from  our  vicinity,  we  were  visited  by 
no  small  proportion  of  blue-bottle  flies.  We  had  a  white  horse 
in  one  window,  and  a  brown  horse  in  the  other,  to^unounce  to 
the  drovers  that  we  supplied  horse  medicines.  And  we  had  all 
the  patent  medicines  in  the  known  world,  even  to  the  "  all-suf- 
ficient medicine  for  mankind "  of  Mr.  Enouy  ;  having  which,  I 
wondered,  on  my  first  arrival,  why  we  troubled  ourselves  about 
any  others.  The  shop  was  large,  and  at  the  back  part  there 
was  a  most  capacious  iron  mortar,  with  a  pestle  to  correspond. 
The  first  floor  was  tenanted  by  Mr.  Cophagus,  who  was  a  bach- 
elor ;  the  second  floor  was  let ;  the  others  were  appropriated  to 
the  housekeeper,  and  to  those  who  formed  the  establishment 


10  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

In  this  well-situated  tenement,  Mr.  Cophagus  got  on  swim 
mingly.  I  will,  therefore,  for  the  present,  sink  the  shop,  that 
my  master  may  rise  in  the  estimation  of  the  reader,  when  I  de- 
peril  ic  his  person  and  his  qualifications. 

Mr.  Phineas  Cophagus  might  have  been  about  forty-five 
years  of  age  when  I  first  had  the  honour  of  an  introduction  to 
him  in  the  receiving-room  of  the  Foundling  Hospital.  He  was 
of  the  middle  height,  his  face  was  thin,  his  nose  very  much 
hooked,  his  eyes  small  and  peering,  with  a  good-humoured 
twinkle  in  them,  his  mouth  large,  and  drawn  down  at  one 
corner.  He  was  stout  in  his  body,  and  carried  a  considerable 
protuberance  before  him,  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  patting 
with  his  left  hand  very  complacently  ;  but  although  stout  in 
his  body,  his  legs  were  mere  spindles,  so  that,  in  his  appearance, 
he  reminded  you  of  some  bird  of  the  crane  genus.  Indeed,  I 
may  say,  that  his  whole  figure  gave  you  just  such  an  impression 
as  an  orange  might  do,  had  it  taken  to  itself  a  couple  of  pieces 
of  tobacco  pipes  as  vehicles  of  locomotion.  He  was  dressed  in 
a  black  coat  and  waistcoat,  white  cravat,  and  high  collar  to 
his  shirt,  blue  cotton  net  pantaloons  and  Hessian  boots,  both 
fitting  so  tight,  that  it  appeared  as  if  he  was  proud  of  his 
spindle  shanks.  His  hat  was  broad-brimmed  and  low,  and  he 
carried  a  stout  black  cane  with  a  gold  top  in  his  right  hand, 
almost  always  raising  the  gold  top  to  his  nose  when  he  spoke, 
just  as  we  see  doctors  represented  at  a  consultation  in  the  cari- 
cature prints.  But  if  his  figure  was  strange,  his  language  and 
manners  were  still  more  so.  He  spoke,  as  some  birds  fly  in 
jerks,  intermixing  his  words,  for  he  never  completed  a  whole 
sentence,  with  urn — urn — and  ending  it  with  "  so  on,"  leaving 
his  hearers  to  supply  the  context  from  the  heads  of  his  dis- 
course. Almost  always  in  motion,  he  generally  changed  his 
position  as  soon  as  he  had  finished  speaking,  walking  to  any  other 
part  of  the  room,  with  his  cane  to  his  nose,  and  his  head  cocked 
on  one  side,  with  a  self-sufficient  tiptoe  gait.  When  I  was  ushered 
into  his  presence,  he  was  standing  with  two  of  the  governors 
"  This  is  the  lad,"  said  one  of  them,  "  his  name  is  Japhd  " 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  11 

"  Japhet,"  replied  Mr.  Cophagus  ;  "  um,  scriptural — Shem, 
Ham,  um — and  so  on.  Boy  reads  ?" 

"  Very  well,  and  writes  a  very  good  hand.  He  is  a  very 
good  boy,  Mr.  Cophagus." 

"Read — write— spell — good,  and  so  on.  Bring  him  up — 
rudiments — spatula — write  labels — um — M.D  one  of  these  days 
— make  a  man  of  him — and  so  on,"  said  this  strange  personage, 
walking  round  and  round  me  with  his  cane  to  his  nose,  and 
scrutinising  my  person  with  his  twinkling  eyes.  I  was  dismissed 
after  this  examination  and  approval,  and  the  next  day,  dressed 
hi  a  plain  suit  of  clothes,  was  delivered  by  the  porter  at  the 
shop  of  Mr.  Phineas  Cophagus,  who  was  not  at  home  when  I 
arrived. 


CHAPTER  II. 

LIKE  ALL  TYROS,  I  FIND  THE  RUDIMENTS  OF  LEARNING  EXTREMELY 
DIFFICULT  AND  LABORIOUS,  BUT  ADVANCE  SO  RAPIDLY  THAT  I  CAN 
DO  WITHOUT  MY  MASTER. 

A  TALL,  fresh-coloured,  but  hectic  looking  young  man,  stood 
behind  the  counter,  making  up  prescriptions,  and  a  dirty  lad, 
about  thirteen  years  old,  was  standing  near  with  his  basket  tc 
deliver  the  medicines  to  the  several  addresses,  as  soon  as  they 
were  ready.  The  young  man  behind  the  counter,  whose  name 
was  Brookes,  was  within  eighteen  months  of  serving  his  time, 
when  his  friends  intended  to  establish  him  on  his  own  account, 
and  this  was  the  reason  which  induced  Mr.  Cophagus  to  take 
me,  that  I  might  learn  the  business,  and  supply  his  place  when 
he  left.  Mr.  Brookes  was  a  very  quiet,  amiable  person,  kind 
to  me  and  the  other  boy  who  carried  out  the  medicines,  and 
who  had  been  taken  by  Mr.  Cophagus,  for  his  food  and  raiment. 
The  porter  told  Mr.  Brookes  who  I  was,  and  left  me.  "  DC 
you  think  that  you  will  like  to  be  an  apothecary  ?"  said  Mr 
Brookes  to  me  with  a  benevolent  smile. 


12  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  KATHEK. 

"  Yes  ;  I  do  not  see  why  I  should  not,"  replied  I. 

"  Stop  a  moment,"  said  the  lad  who  was  waiting  with  the 
basket,  looking  archly  at  me,  "you  hav'n't  got  through  jour 
rudimans  yet." 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  Timothy,"  said  Mr.  Brookes.  "  That  you 
are  not  very  fond  of  the  rudiments,  as  Mr.  Cophagus  calls  them, 
is  very  clear.  Now  walk  off  as  fast  as  you  can  with  these 
medicines,  sir — 14,  Spring  Street ;  16,  Cleaver  Street,  as  be- 
fore ;  and  then  to  John  Street,  55,  Mrs.  Smith's.  Do  you 
understand  ?" 

"  To  be  sure  I  do — can't  I  read  ?  I  reads  all  the  directions, 
and  all  your  Latin  stuff  into  the  bargain — all  your  summen 
dusses,  horez,  diez,  cockly  hairy.  I  mean  to  set  up  for  myself 
one  of  these  days." 

"  I'll  knock  you  down  one  of  these  days,  Mr.  Timothy,  if 
you  stay  so  long  as  you  do,  looking  at  the  print  shops ;  that 
you  may  depend  upon." 

"  I  keep  up  all  my  learning  that  way,"  replied  Timothy, 
walking  off  with  his  load,  turning  his  head  round  and  laughing 
at  me,  as  he  quitted  the  shop.  Mr.  Brookes  smiled,  but  said 
nothing. 

As  Timothy  went  out,  in  came  Mr.  Cophagus.  "  Heh ! 
Japhet — I  see,"  said  he,  putting  up  his  cane,  "  nothing  to  do — 
bad — must  work — urn — and  so  on.  Mr.  Brookes — boy  learn 
rudiments  —  good  —  and  so  on."  Hereupon  Mr.  Cophagus 
took  his  cane  from  his  nose,  pointed  to  the  large  iron  mortar, 
and  then  walked  away  into  the  back  parlour.  Mr.  Brookes 
understood  his  master,  if  I  did  not.  He  wiped  out  the  mortar, 
threw  in  some  drugs,  and,  showing  me  how  to  use  the  pestle, 
left  me  to  my  work.  In  half  an  hour  I  discovered  why  it  was 
that  Timothy  had  such  an  objection  to  what  Mr.  Cophagus 
facetiously  termed  the  rudiments  of  the  profession.  It  was 
dreadful  hard  work  for  a  boy ;  the  perspiration  ran  down  me 
in  streams,  and  I  could  hardly  lift  my  arms.  When  Mr.  Co- 
phagus passed  through  the  shop  and  looked  at  me,  as  I  con- 
tinued  to  thump  away  with  the  heavy  iron  pestle,  "  Good," — • 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  13 

eaid  he,  "  by-and-by — M.D. — and  so  on."  I  thought  *t  was  a 
very  rough  road  to  such  preferment,  and  I  stopped  to  take  a 
little  breath.  "  By-the-bye — Japhet — Christian  name — and  so 
on — sirname — heh  !" 

"  Mr.  Cophagus  wishes  to  know  your  other  name,"  said  Mr. 
Brookes,  interpreting. 

I  have  omitted  to  acquaint  the  reader  that  sirnames  as  well 
as  Christian  names  are  always  given  to  the  children  at  the 
Foundling,  and  in  consequence  of  the  bank  note  found  in  my 
basket,  I  had  been  named  after  the  celebrated  personage  whose 
signature  it  bore.  "  Newland  is  my  other  name,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"  Newland — heh  ? — very  good  name — every  body  likes  to  see 
that  name — and  have  plenty  of  them  in  his  pockets  too — um — 
very  comfortable — and  so  on,"  replied  Mr.  Cophagus,  leaving 
the  shop. 

I  resumed  my  thumping  occupation,  when  Timothy  returned 
with  his  empty  basket.  He  laughed  when  he  saw  me  at  work. 
"  Well,  how  do  you  like  the  rudimans  ? — and  so  on — heh  ?"  said 
he,  mimicking  Mr.  Cophagus. 

"  Not  overmuch,"  replied  I,  wiping  my  face. 

"  That  was  my  job  before  you  came.  I  have  been  more  than 
a  year,  and  never  have  got  out  of  those  rudimans  yet,  and  I 
suppose  I  never  shall." 

Mr.  Brookes,  perceiving  that  I  was  tired,  desired  me  to  leave 
off,  an  order  which  I  gladly  obeyed,  and  I  took  my  seat  in  a 
corner  of  the  shop. 

"  There,"  said  Timothy,  laying  down  his  basket ;  "  no  more 
work  for  me  hanty  prandium,  is  there,  Mr.  Brookes  ?" 

"  No,  Tim  ;  but  post  prandium,  you'll  post  off  again." 

Dinner  being  ready,  and  Mr.  Cophagus  having  returned,  he 
and  Mr.  Brookes  went  into  the  back  parlour,  leaving  Timothy 
and  me  in  the  shop  to  announce  customers.  And  I  shall  take 
this  opportunity  of  introducing  Mr.  Timothy  more  particularly, 
as  he  will  play  a  very  conspicuous  part  in  this  narrative.  Tim 
othy  was  short,  in  stature  for  his  age,  but  very  strongly  built. 
He  had  an  oval  face,  with  a  very  dark  complexion,  grey  eyen 


|4  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

flushing  from  under  their  long  eyelashes,  and  eyebrows  nearly 
meeting  each  other.  He  was  marked  with  the  small  pox,  not 
BO  much  as  to  disfigure  him,  but  still  it  was  very  perceptible 
when  near  to  him.  His  countenance  was  always  lighted  up 
with  merriment ;  there  was  such  a  happy  devil-may-care  expres- 
sion hi  his  face,  that  you  liked  him  the  first  minute  that  you 
were  in  his  company,  and  I  was  ultimate  with  him  immediately. 

"  I  say,  Japhet,"  said  he,  "  where  did  you  come  from  ?" 

"  The  Foundling,"  replied  I. 

"Then  you  have  no  friends  or  relations." 

"  If  I  have,  I  do  not  know  where  to  find  them,"  replied  I 
very  gravely. 

"  Pooh  !  don't  be  grave  upon  it.  I  hav'n't  any  either.  I 
was  brought  up  by  the  parish,  in  the  workhouse.  I  was  found 
at  the  door  of  a  gentleman's  house,  who  sent  me  to  the  overseers 
— I  was  about  a  year  old  then.  They  call  me  a  foundling,  but  I 
don't  care  what  they  call  me,  so  long  as  they  don't  call  me  too 
late  for  dinner.  Father  and  mother,  whoever  they  were,  when 
they  run  away  from  me,  didn't  run  away  with  my  appetite.  I 
wonder  how  long  master  means  to  play  with  his  knife  and  fork. 
As  for  Mr.  Brookes,  what  he  eats  wouldn't  physic  a  snipe. 
What's  your  other  name,  Japhet  ?" 

"  Newland." 

"  Newland — now  you  shall  have  mine  in  exchange  :  Timothy 
Oldmixon  at  your  service.  They  christened  me  after  the  work- 
house pump,  which  had  'Timothy  Oldmixon  fecit'  on  it:  and 
the  overseers  thought  it  as  good  a  name  to  give  me  as  any 
other  ;  so  I  was  christened  after  the  pumpmaker  with  some  of 
the  pump  water.  As  soon  as  I  was  big  enough,  they  employed 
me  to  pump  all  the  water  for  the  use  of  the  workhouse.  I 
worked  at  my  papa,  as  I  called  the  pump,  all  day  Jong.  Few 
sons  worked  their  father  more,  or  disliked  him  so  much  ;  ami 
now,  Japhet,  you  see,  from  habit,  I'm  pumping  you." 

"You'll  soon  pump  dry,  then,  for  I've  very  little  to  tell 
you,"  replied  I ;  "  but,  tell  me,  what  sort  of  a  person  is  OUT 
master  T' 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  15 

*•  He's  just  what  you  s«e  him,  never  alters,  hardly  ever  out 
of  humour,  and  when  he  is  he  is  just  as  odd  as  ever.  He  very 
often  threatens  me,  but  I  have  never  had  a  blow  yet,  although 
Mr.  Brookes  has  complained  once  or  twice." 

"  But  surely  Mr.  Brookes  is  not  cross." 

"  No,  he  is  a  very  good  gentleman  ;  bat  sometimes  I  carry 
on  my  rigs  a  little  too  far,  I  must  say  that.  For  as  Mr. 
Brookes  says,  people  may  die  for  want  of  the  medicines,  because 
I  put  down  my  basket  to  play.  It's  very  true  ;  but  I  can't 
give  up  'peg  in  the  ring'  on  that  account.  But  then  I  only 
get  a  box  of  the  ear  from  Mr.  Brookes,  and  that  goes  for 
nothing.  Mr.  Cophagus  shakes  his  stick,  and  says,  '  Bad  boy — 
big  stick — urn — won't  forget — next  time — and  so  on,' "  continued 
Timothy,  laughing ;  "  and  it  is  so  on,  to  the  end  of  the  chapter." 

By  this  time  Mr.  Cophagus  and  his  assistant  had  finished 
their  dinner,  and  came  into  the  shop.  The  former  looked  at 
me,  put  his  stick  to  his  nose,  "  Little  boys — always  hungry — 
um — like  good  dinner — roast  beef — Yorkshire  pudding — and 
BO  on,"  and  he  pointed  with  the  stick  to  the  back  parlour. 
Timothy  and  I  understood  him  very  well  this  tune :  we  went 
into  the  parlour^  when  the  housekeeper  sat  down  with  us,  and 
helped  us.  She  was  a  terribly  cross,  little  old  woman,  but  as 
honest  as  she  was  cross,  which  is  all  that  I  shall  say  in  her 
favour  Timothy  was  no  favourite,  because  he  had  such  a  good 
appetite  ;  and  it  appeared  that  I  was  not  very  likely  to  stand 
well  in  her  good  opinion,  for  I  also  ate  a  great  deal,  and  every 
extra  mouthful  I  took  I  sank  in  her  estimation,  till  I  was  nearly 
at  the  zero,  where  Timothy  had  long  been  for  the  same  offence  ; 
but  Mr.  Cophagus  would  not  allow  her  to  stint  him,  saying, 
"  Little  boys  must  eat — or  won't  grow — and  so  on." 

I  soon  found  out  that  we  were  not  only  well  fed,  but  in 
every  other  point  well  treated,  and  I  was  very  comfortable  and 
happy.  Mr.  Brookes  instructed  me  in  the  art  of  labelling  and 
tying  up,  and  in  a  very  short  time  I  was  very  expert  ;  and  ad 
Timothy  predicted,  the  rudiments  were  once  more  handed  over 
to  him  Mr.  Cophagus  supplied  me  with  good  clothes,  but 


16  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

never  gave  me  any  pocket-money,  and  Timothy  and  I  often 
lamented  that  we  had  not  even  a  half-penny  to  spend. 

Before  I  had  been  many  months  in  the  shop,  Mr.  Brookes 
flras  able  to  leave  when  any  exigence  required  his  immediate 
attendance.  I  made  np  the  pills,  but  he  weighed  out  the 
quantities  in  the  prescriptions  :  if,  therefore  any  one  came  in 
for  medicines,  I  desired  them  to  wait  the  return  of  Mr.  Brookes, 
who  would  be  in  very  soon.  One  day,  when  Mr.  Brookes  was 
out,  and  I  was  sitting  behind  the  counter,  Timothy,  sitting  on 
it,  and  swinging  his  legs  to  and  fro,  both  lamenting  that  we 
had  no  pocket  money,  Timothy  said,  "  Japhet,  I've  been  puz- 
zling my  brains  how  we  can  get  some  money,  and  I've  hit  it  at 
last ;  let  you  and  I  turn  doctors  ;  we  won't  send  all  the  people 
away  who  come  when  Mr.  Brookes  is  out,  but  we'll  physic  them 
ourselves." 

I  jumped  at  the  idea,  and  he  had  hardly  proposed  it, 
when  an  old  woman  came  in,  and  addressing  Timothy,  said, 
"  That  she  wanted  something  for  her  poor  grandchild's  sore 
throat." 

"  I  don't  mix  up  the  medicines,  ma'am,  replied  Timothy  ; 
"  You  must  apply  to  that  gentleman,  Mr.  Newland,  who  is 
behind  the  counter — he  understands  what  is  good  for  every 
body's  complaints." 

"  Bless  his  handsome  face — and  so  young  too  !  Why,  be 
you  a  good  doctor,  sir  ?" 

"  I  should  hope  so,"  replied  I ;  "  what  is  it  you  require — a 
lotion,  or  an  embrocation  ?" 

"I  don't  understand  those  hard  words,  but  I  want  some 
doctor's  stuff." 

"  Very  well,  my  good  woman  ;  I  know  what  is  proper,"  re- 
plied I,  assuming  an  important  air.  "  Here,  Timothy,  wash 
out  this  vial  very  clean." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Timothy,  very  respectfully. 

I  took  one  of  the  measures,  and  putting  in  a  little  green,  a 
little  blue,  and  a  little  white  liquid  from  the  medicine  botths 
generally  used  by  Mr.  Brookes,  filled  it  up  with  water,  poured 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  17 

the  mixture  into  the  yial,  corked  and  labelled  it,  haustun 
statim  sumendus,  and  handed  it  over  the  counter  to  the  old 
woman. 

"  Is  the  poor  child  to  take  it,  or  is  it  to  rub  outside  ?"  h> 
quired  the  old  woman. 

"  The  directions  are  on  the  label  ; — but  you  don't  read 
Latin  ?" 

"  Deary  me,  no  1  Latin  !  and  do  you  understand  Latin ! 
what  a  nice  clever  boy  !" 

"I  should  not  be  a  good  doctor  if  I  did  not,"  replied  I 
"  On  second  thoughts,  I  consider  it  advisable  and  safer,  that  the 
application  should  be  external"  so  I  translated  the  label  to  her 
— haustus,  rub  it  in — statim,  on  the  throat — sumendus,  with  the 
palm  of  the  hand. 

"  Deary  me  !  and  does  it  mean  all  that  ?  How  much  have  I 
to  pay,  sir  !" 

"  Embrocation  is  a  very  dear  medicine,  my  good  woman  ; 
it  ought  to  be  eighteen  pence,  but  as  you  are  a  poor  woman, 
I  shall  only  charge  you  nine-pence." 

"  I'm  sure  I  thank  you  kindly,"  replied  the  old  woman, 
putting  down  the  money,  and  wishing  me  a  good  morning  as 
she  left  the  shop. 

"  Bravo  1"  cried  Timothy,  rubbing  his  hands  ;  it's  halves, 
Japhet,  is  it  not  ?" 

"  Yes,"  I  replied  ;  "  but  first  we  must  be  honest,  and  not  cheat 
Mr.  Cophagus  ;  the  vial  is  sold,  you  know,  for  one  penny,  and 
I  suppose  the  stuff  I  have  taken  is  not  worth  a  penny  more. 
Now,  if  we  put  aside  two-pence  for  Mr.  Cophagus,  we  don't 
cheat  him,  or  steal  his  property  ;  the  other  seven-pence  is  of 
course  our  own — being  the  profits  of  the.  profession." 

11  Bnt  how  shall  we  account  for  receiving  the  two-pence  ?" 
said  Timothy. 

"  Selling  two  vials  instead  of  one  :  they  are  never  reckoned, 
you  know." 

"  That  will  do  capitally,"  cried  Timothy  ;  "  and  now  for 
halves."  But  this  could  not  be  managed  until  Timothy  had  run 


18  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

out  and  changed  the  sixpence  ;  we  then  each  had  cur  three- 
pence halfpenny,  aud  for  once  in  our  lives  could  say  that  we 
had  money  in  our  pockets. 


CHAPTER   III. 

I   PERFORM  A  WONDERFUL  CURE   UPON    ST.    JOHN   LONG'S   PRINCIPLE, 

HAVING    LITTLE    OR    NO    PRINCIPLE    OF    MY    OWN 1    BEGIN    TO 

PUZZLE    MY    HEAD    WITH    A    PROBLEM,   OF   ALL    OTHERS    MOST   DIF- 
FICULT  TO    SOLVE. 

THE  success  of  our  first  attempt  encouraged  us  to  proceed  ;  but 
afraid  that  I  might  do  some  mischief,  I  asked  of  Mr  Brookes, 
the  nature  and  qualities  of  the  various  medicines,  as  he  was 
mixing  the  prescriptions,  that  I  might  avoid  taking  any  of 
those  which  were  poisonous.  Mr.  Brookes,  pleaseil  with  my 
continual  enquiries,  gave  me  all  the  information  I  ccmld  desire, 
and  thus  I  gained,  not  only  a  great  deal  of  information,  but 
also  a  great  deal  of  credit  with  Mr.  Cophagus,  to  whom  Mr. 
Brookes  had  made  known  my  diligence  and  thirst  for  know- 
ledge. 

"  Good — very  good,"  said  Mr.  Cophagus  ;  "  fine  boy — learns 
his  business — M.D.  one  of  these  days — ride  in  his  coach, — um, 
and  so  on."  Nevertheless,  at  my  second  attempt,  I  made  an 
awkward  mistake,  which  very  near  led  to  detection.  An  Irish 
labourer,  more  than  half  tipsy,  came  in  one  evening,  and  asked 
whether  we  had  such  a  thing  as  was  called  "  A  poor  marts  plas- 
ter. By  the  powers,  it  will  be  a  poor  man's  plaster  when  it 
belongs  to  me  ;  they  tell  me  that  it  is  a  sure  and  sartain  cure 
for  the  thurabago,  as  they  call  it,  which  I've  at  the  small  of  my 
back,  and  which  is  a  hinder  to  my  mounting  up  the  ladder  ;  so 
as  it's  Saturday  night,  and  I've  just  got  the  money,  I'll  buy  the 
plaster  first,  and  then  try  what  a  little  whisky  inside  will  do ; 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  19 

the  devil's  in  it  if  it  won't  be  driven  out  of  me  between  the 
two." 

We  had  not  that  plaster  in  the  shop,  but  we  had  blister  plas- 
ter, and  Timothy,  handing  one  to  me,  I  proffered  it  to  him. 
"  And  what  may  you  be  after  asking  for  this  same  ?"  inquired  he. 
The  blister  plasters  were  sold  at  a  shilling  each,  when  spread 
on  paper,  so  I  asked  him  eignteen-peuce,  that  we  might  pocket 
the  extra  sixpence. 

"  By  the  powers,  one  would  think  that  you  had  made  a  mis- 
take, and  handed  me  the  rich  man's  plaster  instead  of  the  poor 
one's.  It's  less  whisky  I'll  have  to  drink,  any  how ;  but  here's  the 
money,  and  the  top  of  the  morning  to  ye,  seeing  as  how  it's  jist 
getting  late." 

Timothy  and  I  laughed  as  we  divided  the  sixpence.  It  ap- 
peared that  after  taking  his  allowance  of  whisky,  the  poor  fel- 
low fixed  the  plaster  on  his  back  when  he  went  to  bed,  and  the 
next  morning  found  himself  in  a  condition  not  to  be  envied.  It 
was  a  week  before  we  saw  him  again,  and  much  to  the  horror 
of  Timothy  and  myself,  he  walked  into  the  shop  when  Mr 
Brookes  was  employed  behind  the  counter.  Timothy  perceived 
him  before  he  saw  us,  and  pulling  me  behind  the  large  mortar, 
we  contrived  to  make  our  escape  into  the  back  parlour,  the  door 
of  which  we  held  ajar  to  hear  what  would  take  place. 

"  Murder  and  turf  1"  cried  the  man  ;  "  but  that  was  the 
devil's  own  plaster  that  you  gave  me  here  for  my  back,  and  it 
left  me  as  raw  as  a  turnip,  taking  every  bit  of  my  skin  off  me 
entirely,  forebye  my  laying  in  bed  for  a  whole  week,  and  losing 
my  days'  work." 

"  I  really  do  not  recollect  supplying  you  with  a  plaster,  my 
good  man,"  replied  Mr.  Brookes. 

"  Then,  by  the  piper  that  played  before  Moses,  if  you  don't 
recollect  it,  I've  an  idea  that  I  shall  never  forget  it.  Sure 
enough,  it  cured  me,  but  wasn't  I  quite  kilt  before  I  waa 
cured  ?" 

11  It  must  have  been  some  other  shop,"  observed  Mr  Brookes 
"  You  have  made  a  mistake." 


20  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Devil  a  bit  of  mistake,  except  in  selling  me  the  plaster 
Didn't  I  get  it  of  a  lad  in  this  same  shop  ?" 

"  Nobody  sells  things  out  of  this  shop  without  my  know- 
ledge." 

The  Irishman  was  puzzled — he  looked  round  the  shop 
"  Well,  then,  if  this  a'u't  the  shop,  it  was  own  sister  to  it." 

"  Timothy,"  called  Mr.  Brookes. 

"  And  sure  enough  there  was  a  Timothy  in  the  other  shop, 
for  I  heard  the  boy  call  the  other  by  the  name  ;  however,  it's 
no  matter  if  it  took  off  the  skin,  it  also  took  away  the  thumbago, 
so  the  morning  to  you,  Mr.  Pottykary." 

When  the  Irishman  had  departed,  we  made  our  appearance. 
"  Japhet,  did  you  sell  a  plaster  to  an  Irishman  ?" 

"  Yes — don't  you  recollect,  last  Saturday  ?  and  I  gave  you 
the  shilling." 

"  Very  true  ;  but  what  did  he  ask  for  ?" 

"  He  asked  for  a  plaster,  but  he  was  very  tipsy.  I  showed 
him  a  blister,  and  he  took  it ;"  and  then  I  looked  at  Timothy 
and  laughed. 

"  You  must  not  play  such  tricks,"  said  Mr. Brookes.  "I  see 
what  you  have  been  about — it  was  a  joke  to  you,  but  not  to 
him." 

Mr.  Brookes,  who  imagined  we  had  sold  it  to  the  Irishman 
out  of  fun,  then  gave  us  a  very  severe  lecture,  and  threatened 
to  acquaint  Mr.  Cophagus,  if  ever  we  played  such  tricks  again. 
Thus  the  affair  blew  over,  and  it  made  me  very  careful ;  and, 
as  every  day  I  knew  more  about  medicines,  I  was  soon  able  to 
mix  them,  so  as  to  be  of  service  to  those  who  applied,  and 
before  eighteen  months  had  expired,  I  was  trusted  with  the 
mixing  up  of  all  the  prescriptions.  At  the  end  of  that  period 
Mr  Brookes  left  us,  and  I  took  the  whole  of  his  department 
upon  myself,  giving  great  satisfaction  to  Mr.  Cophagus. 

And  now  that  I  have  announced  my  promotion,  it  will  per 
haps  be  as  well  that  I  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  my  per- 
sonal appearance,  upon  which  I  have  hitherto  been  silent.  I 
was  thin,  between  fifteen  and  sixteen  years  old,  very  tall  for  my 


JAI'HET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  21 

age,  and  of  my  figure  I  had  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  ;  a  large 
beaming  eye,  with  a  slightly  aquiline  nose,  a  high  forehead,  fair 
in  complexion,  but  with  very  dark  hair.  I  was  always  what 
may  be  termed  a  remarkably  clean-looking  boy,  from  the 
peculiarity  of  my  skin  and  complexion  ;  my  teeth  were  small, 
but  were  transparent,  and  I  had  a  very  deep  dimple  in  my 
chin.  Like  all  embryo  apothecaries,  I  carried  in  my  appear- 
ance, if  not  the  look  of  wisdom,  most  certainly  that  of  self- 
sufficiency,  which  does  equally  well  with  the  world  in  general. 
My  forehead  was  smooth,  and  very  white,  and  my  dark  locks 
were  combed  back  systematically,  and  with  a  regularity  that 
said,  as  plainly  as  hair  could  do,  "  The  owner  of  this  does 
every  thing  by  prescription,  measurement,  and-  rule."  With 
my  long  fingers  I  folded  up  the  little  packets,  with  an  air  as 
thoughtful  and  imposing  as  that  of  a  minister  who  has  just  pre- 
sented a  protocol  as  interminable  as  unintelligible  ;  and  the 
look  of  solemn  sagacity  with  which  I  poured  out  the  contents 
of  one  vial  into  the  other,  would  have  well  become  the  king's 
physician,  when  he  watched  the  "lord's  anointed"  in  articulc 
mortis. 

As  I  followed  up  my  saturnine  avocation,  I  generally  had  au 
open  book  on  the  counter  beside  me ;  not  a  marble-covered 
dirty  volume,  from  the  Minerva  press,  or  a  half-bound,  half- 
guinea's  worth  of  fashionable  trash,  but  a  good,  honest,  heavy- 
looking,  wisdom-implying  book,  horribly  stuffed  with  epithet  of 
drug  ;  a  book  hi  which  Latin  words  were  redundant,  and  here 
and  there  were  to  be  observed  the  crabbed  characters  of  Greek. 
Altogether,  with  my  book  and  my  look,  I  cut  such  a  truly 
medical  appearance,  that  even  the  most  guarded  would  not 
have  hesitated  to  allow  me  the  sole  conduct  of  a  whitlow,  from 
inflammation  to  suppuration,  and  from  suppuration  to  cure,  or 
have  refused  to  have  confided  to  me  the  entire  suppression  of  a 
gumboil.  Such  were  my  personal  qualifications  at  the  tune 
that  I  was  raised  to  the  important  office  of  dispenser  of,  I  may 
say,  life  and  death. 

It  Kill  not  surprise  the  reader  when  I  tell  him  that  1  waa 


22  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

much  noticed  by  those  who  came  to  consult,  or  talk  with, 
Mr.  Cophagus.  "  A  very  fine  looking  lad  that,  Mr.  Cophagus," 
an  acquaintance  would  say.  "Where  did  you  get  him — who  is 
his  father  ?" 

"  Father  1"  Mr.  Cophagus  would  reply,  when  they  had 
gained  the  back  parlour,  but  I  could  overhear  him,  "father, 
tun — can't  tell — love — concealment — child  born — Foundling 
Hospital — put  out — and  so  on." 

This  was  constantly  occurring,  and  the  constant  occurrence 
made  me  often  reflect  upon  my  condition,  which  otherwise  I 
might,  from  the  happy  and  even  tenor  of  my  life,  have  forgotten. 
When  I  retired  to  my  bed  I  would  revolve  in  my  mind  all  that 
I  had  gained  from  the  governors  of  the  hospital  relative  to 
myself.  The  paper  found  in  the  basket  had  been  given  to  me. 
I  was  born  in  wedlock — at  least,  so  said  that  paper.  The  sum 
left  with  me  also  proved  that  my  parents  could  not,  at  my  birth, 
have  been  paupers.  The  very  peculiar  circumstances  attending 
my  case,  only  made  me  more  anxious  to  know  my  parentage.  I 
was  now  old  enough  to  be  aware  of  the  value  of  birth,  and 
I  was  also  just  entering  the  age  of  romance,  and  many  were  the 
strange  and  absurd  reveries  hi  which  I  indulged.  At  one  tune 
I  would  cherish  the  idea  that  I  was  of  a  noble,  if  not  princely 
birth,  and  frame  reasons  for  concealment.  At  others — but  it  is 
useless  to  repeat  the  absurdities  and  castle  buildings  which 
were  generated  in  my  brain  from  mystery.  My  airy  fabrics 
would  at  last  disappear,  and  leave  me  in  all  the  misery  of  doubt 
and  abandoned  hope.  Mr.  Cophagus,  when  the  question  was 
sometimes  put  to  him,  would  say,  "  Good  boy — very  good 
boy — don't  want  a  father."  But  he  was  wrong,  I  did  war.t 
a  father  ;  and  every  day  the  want  became  more  pressing,  and  ) 
found  myself  continually  repeating  the  question,  "  Who  is  vty 
father  ?" 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER  23 


CHAPTER  IV. 

VERY  MUCH  PUZZLED  WITH  A  NEW  PATIENT,  NEVERTHELESS  TAKE  MY 
DEGREE  AT  FIFTEEN  AS  AN  M.  D.  J  AND  WHAT  IS  STILL  MORB 
ACCEPTABLE,  I  POCKET  THE  FEES. 

THE  departure  of  Mr.  Brookes,  of  course,  rendered  me  more 
able  to  follow  up  with  Timothy  my  little  professional  attempts 
to  procure  pocket-money ;  but  independent  of  these  pillages  by 
the  aid  of  pills,  and  making  draughts  upon  our  master's  legiti- 
mate profits,  by  the  assistance  of  draughts  from  his  shop, 
accident  shortly  enabled  me  to  raise  the  ways  and  means  in 
&  more  rapid  manner.  But  of  this  directly. 

In  the  mean  time  I  was  fast  gaining  knowledge  ;  every  even- 
Ing  I  read  surgical  and  medical  books,  put  into  my  hands  by 
Mr.  Cophagus,  who  explained  whenever  I  applied  to  him,  and 
I  soon  obtained  a  very  fair  smattering  of  my  profession.  He 
also  taught  me  how  to  bleed,  by  making  me,  in  the  first 
instance,  puncture  very  scientifically  all  the  larger  veins  of  a 
cabbage-leaf,  until  well  satisfied  with  the  delicacy  of  my  hand, 
and  the  precision  of  my  eye,  he  wound  up  his  instructions  by 
permitting  me  to  breathe  a  vein  in  his  own  arm. 

"  Well,"  said  Timothy,  when  he  first  saw  me  practising,  "  I 
have  often  heard  it  said,  there's  no  getting  blood  out  of  a 
turnip  ;  but  it  seems  there  is  more  chance  with  a  cabbage.  I 
tell  you  what,  Japhet,  you  may  try  your  hand  upon  me  as  much 
as  you  please,  for  two-pence  a  go." 

I  consented  to  this  arrangement,  and  by  dint  of  practising 
on  Timothy  over  and  over  again,  I  became  quite  perfect.  I 
should  here  observe,  that  my  anxiety  relative  to  my  birth 
increased  every  day,  and  that  in  one  of  the  books  lent  me  l»y 
Mr.  Cophagus,  there  was  a  dissertation  upon  the  human  frame, 
sympathies,  antipathies,  and  also  on  those  features  and  pecu- 
liarities most  likely  to  descend  from  one  generation  to  another. 
It  was  there  asserted  that  the  nose  wan  the  facial  feature  mout 


24  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

likely  to  be  transmitted  from  father  to  son.  As  I  before  have 
mentioned,  my  nose  was  rather  aquiline  ;  and  after  I  had  read 
this  book,  it  was  surprising  with  what  eagerness  I  examined 
the  faces  of  those  whom  I  met ;  and  if  I  saw  a  nose  upon  any 
man's  face,  at  all  resembling  my  own,  I  immediately  would 
wonder  and  surmise  whether  that  person  could  be  my  father. 
The  constant  dwelling  upon  the  subject  at  last  created  a  spe- 
cies of  monomania,  and  a  hundred  times  a  day  I  would  mutter 
to  myself :  "  Who  is  my  father  ?"  indeed,  the  very  bells,  when 
they  rung  a  peal,  seemed,  as  in  the  case  of  Whittiugton,  to 
chime  the  question,  and  at  last  I  talked  so  much  on  the  subject 
to  Timothy,  who  was  my  Fidus  Achates,  and  bosom  friend,  that 
I  really  believe,  partial  as  he  was  to  me,  he  wished  my  father 
at  the  devil. 

Our  shop  was  well  appointed  with  all  that  glare  and  glitter 
with  which  we  decorate  the  "house  of  call"  of  disease  and 
death.  Being  situated  in  such  a  thoroughfare,  passengers 
would  stop  to  look  in,  and  ragged-vested,  and  in  other  gar- 
ments still  more  ragged,  little  boys  would  stand  to  stare  at  the 
variety  of  colours  and  the  'pottecary  gentleman,  your  humble 
servant,  who  presided  over  so  many  labelled-in-gold  phalanxes 
which  decorated  the  sides  of  the  shop. 

Among  those  who  always  stopped  and  gazed,  as  she  passed 
by,  which  was  generally  three  or  four  times  a  day,  was  a  well- 
dressed  female,  apparently  about  forty  years  of  age,  straight  as 
an  arrow,  with  an  elasticity  of  step,  and  a  decision  in  her  man- 
ner of  walking,  which  was  almost  masculine,  although  her  form, 
notwithstanding  that  it  was  tall  and  thin,  was  extremely  femi- 
nine and  graceful.  Sometimes  she  would  fix  her  eyes  upon  me, 
and  there  was  a  wildness  in  her  looks,  which  certainly  gave  a 
painful  impression,  and  at  the  same  time  so  fascinated  me,  thar^ 
when  I  met  her  gaze,  the  paper  which  contained  the  powder 
remained  unfolded,  and  the  arm  which  was  pouring  out  the 
liquid  suspended. 

She  wag  often  remarked  by  Timothy,  as  well  as  me  ;  and  we 
'urther  observed,  that  her  step  was  not  equal  throughout  the 


JAPHE7,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  25 

day.  In  her  later  peregrinations,  towards  the  evening,  her  gait 
was  more  vigorous,  but  unequal,  at  the  same  time  that  her 
gaze  was  more  steadfast.  She  usually  passed  the  shop  for  the 
last  time  each  day  about  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

One  evening,  after  we  had  watched  her  past,  as  we  supposed, 
to  return  no  more  till  the  ensuing  morning,  for  this  peeping  in, 
on  her  part,  had  become  an  expected  occurrence,  and  afforded 
much  amusement  to  Timothy,  who  designated  her  as  the  "  mad 
woman,"  to  our  great  surprise,  and  to  the  alarm  of  Timothy, 
who  sprang  over  the  counter,  and  took  a  position  by  my  side, 
she  walked  into  the  shop.  Her  eye  appeared  wild,  as  usual, 
but  I  could  not  make  out  that  it  was  insanity.  I  recovered  my 
self-possession,  and  desired  Timothy  to  hand  the  lady  a  chair, 
begging  to  know  in  what  way  I  could  be  useful.  Timothy 
walked  round  by  the  end  of  the  counter,  pushed  a  chair  near 
to  her,  and  then  made  a  hasty  retreat  to  his  former  position. 
She  declined  the  chair  with  a  motion  of  her  hand,  in  which 
there  was  much  dignity,  as  well  as  grace,  and  placing  upon  the 
counter  her  hands,  which  were  small  and  beautifully  white,  she 
bent  forwards  towards  me,  and  said,  in  a  sweet,  low  voice, 
which  actually  startled  me  by  its  depth  of  melody,  "  I  am  very  ill." 

My  astonishment  increased.  Why,  I  know  not,  because  the 
exceptions  are 'certainly  as  many  as  the  general  rule,  we  always 
form  an  estimate  of  the  voice  before  we  hear  it,  from  the  out- 
ward appearance  of  the  speaker  ;  and  when  I  looked  up  in 
her  face,  which  was  now  exposed  to  the  glare  of  the  argand 
lamp,  and  witnessed  the  cadaverous,  pale,  chalky  expression  on 
it,  and  the  crow's  feet  near  the  eyes,  and  wrinkles  on  her  fore- 
head, I  should  have  sooner  expected  to  have  hear,d  a  burst  of 
heavenly  symphony  from  a  thundercloud,  than  such  music  as 
issued  from  her  parted  lips. 

"  &ood  heavens,  madam  !"  said  I  eagerly  and  respectfully. 
44  allow  me  to  send  for  Mr.  Cophagus." 

"  Hy  no  means,"  replied  she.  "  I,  come  to  you.  I  am 
aware,"  continued  she,  in  an  under  tone,  "that  you  dispense 
medii'iucs,  give  advice,  and  receive  money  yourself." 


426  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHRR. 

I  felt  very  much  agitated,  and  the  blush  of  detection 
mounted  up  to  my  forehead.  Timothy,  who  heard  what  she 
said,  showed  his  uneasiness  in  a  variety  of  grotesque  waya 
He  drew  up  his  legs  alternately,  as  if  he  were  dancing  on  hot 
plates  ;  he  slapped  his  pockets,  grinned,  clenched  his  fists, 
ground  his  teeth,  and  bit  his  lips  till  he  made  the  blood  come. 
At  last  he  sidled  up  to  me,  "  She  has  been  peeping  and  screw- 
ing those  eyes  of  hers  into  this  shop  for  something.  It's  all 
op  with  both  of  us,  unless  you  can  buy  her  off." 

"  I  have,  madam,"  said  I,  at  last,  "  ventured  to  prescribe  in 
some  trivial  cases,  and,  as  you  say,  receive  money  when  my 
master  is  not  here;  but  I  am  entrusted  with  the  till." 

"  I  know — I  know — you  need  not  fear  me.  You  are  too 
modest.  What  I  would  request  is,  that  you  would  prescribe 
for  me,  as  I  have  no  great  opinion  of  your  master's  talents." 

"  If  yon  wish  it,  madam,"  said  I,  bowing  respectfully. 

"  You  have  camphor  julep  ready  made  up,  have  you  not  ?" 

"  Yes,  madam,"  replied  I. 

"  Then  do  me  the  favour  to  send  the  boy  with  a  bottle  to  my 
house  directly."  I  handed  down  the  bottle,  she  paid  for  it,  and 
putting  it  into  Timothy's  hands,  desired  him  to  take  it  to  the 
direction  which  she  gave  him.  Timothy  put  on  his  hat,  cocked 
his  eye  at  me,  and  left  us  alone. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?"  said  she,  in  the  same  melodious  voice. 

''  Japhet  Newland,  madam,"  replied  I. 

"  Japhet — it  is  a  good,  a  scriptural  name,"  said  the  lady, 
musing  in  half  soliloquy.  "  Newland — that  sounds  of  mam- 
mon." 

"  This  mystery  is  unravelled,"  thought  I,  and  I  was  right  in 
my  conjectures.  "  She  is  some  fanatical  methodist ;"  but  I 
looked  at  her  again,  and  her  dress  disclaimed  the  idea,  for  in  it 
there  was  much  taste  displayed. 

"  Who  gave  you  that  name  ?"  said  she,  after  a  pause. 

The  question  was  simple  enough,  but  it  stirred  up  a  host  of 
annoying  recollections  ;  but  not  wishing  to  make  a  confidant  of 
ber,  I  gently  replied,  as  I  used  to  do  in  the  Foundling  Hospital 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  27 

on  Sunday  morning — "  My  godfathers  and  godmothers  in  my 
baptism,  ma'am." 

"  My  dear  sir,  I  am  very  ill,"  said  she,  after  a  pause,  "will 
you  feel  my  pulse  ?" 

I  touched  a  wrist,  and  looked  at  a  hand  that  was  worthy  of 
being  admired.  What  a  pity,  thought  I,  that  she  should  be 
old,  ugly,  and  half  crazy  I 

"  Do  you  not  think  that  this  pulse  of  mine  exhibits  consider- 
able nervous  excitement  ?  I  reckoned  it  this  morning,  it  was 
at  a  hundred  and  twenty." 

"  It  certainly  beats  quick,"  replied  I,  "  but  perhaps  the 
camphor  julep  may  prove  beneficial." 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  advice,  Mr.  Newland,"  said  she,  laying 
down  a  guinea,  "  and  if  I  am  not  better,  I  will  call  again,  or 
send  for  you.  Good  night." 

She  walked  out  of  the  shop,  leaving  me  in  no  small  astonish- 
ment. What  could  she  mean  ?  I  was  lost  in  reverie,  when 
Timothy  returned.  The  guinea  remained  on  the  counter. 

"  I  met  her  going  home,"  said  he.  "  Bless  me — a  guinea — 
why,  Japhet !"  I  recounted  all  that  had  passed.  "  Well, 
then,  it  has  turned  out  well  for  us  instead  of  ill,  as  I  expected." 

The  us  reminded  me  that  we  shared  profits  on  these  occa- 
sions, and  I  offered  Timothy  his  half ;  but  Tim,  with  all  his 
espieglerie  was  not  selfish,  and  he  stoutly  refused  to  take  his 
rihare.  He  dubbed  me  an  M.D.,  and  said  I  had  beaten  Mr. 
Cophagus  already,  for  he  had  never  taken  a  physician's  fee. 

"  I  cannot  understand  it,  Timothy,"  said  I,  after  a  few 
minutes'  thought. 

"  I-«an,"  replied  Timothy.  "  She  has  looked  in  at  the  win- 
dow until  she  has  fallen  in  love  with  your  handsome  face  ;  that's 
it,  depend  upon  it."  As  I  could  find  no  other  cause,  and  Tim's 
opinion  was  backed  by  my  own  vanity,  I  imagined  that  such 
must  be  the  case.  "  Yes,  't  is  so,"  continued  Timothy,  "  as  the 
saying  is,  there's  money  bid  for  you." 

'•'  I  wish  that  it  had  not  been  by  so  ill-favoured  a  person,  at 
all  events,  Tim,"  replied  I ;  "  I  cannot  return  her  affection," 


28  JAPIIET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER. 

"  Never  mind  that,  so  long  as  yon  don't  return  the  money." 

The  next  evening  she  made  her  appearance,  bought,  as  before 
a  bottle  of  camphor  julep — sent  Timothy  home  with  it,  and  ask- 
ing my  advice,  paid  me  another  guinea. 

"  Really,  madam,"  said  I,  putting  it  back  towards  her,  "  I 
am  not  entitled  to  it." 

"  Yes,  you  are,"  replied  she.  "  I  know  you  have  no  friends 
and  I  also  know  that  you  deserve  them.  You  must  purchase 
books,  you  must  study,  or  you  never  will  be  a  great  man."  She 
then  sat  down,  entered  into  conversation,  and  I  was  struck  with 
the  fire  and  vigour  of  the  remarks,  which  were  uttered  hi  such 
a  melodious  tone. 

Her  visits,  during  a  month,  were  frequent,  and  every  time 
did  she  press  upon  me  a  fee.  Although  not  in  love  with  her 
person,  I  certainly  felt  very  grateful,  and  moreovei  was 
charmed  with  the  superiority  of  her  mind.  We  were  now  on 
the  most  friendly  and  confiding  terms.  One  evening  she  said  to 
me,  "  Japhet,  we  have  now  been  friends  some  time.  Can  I 
trust  you  ?" 

"  With  your  life,  if  it  were  necessary,"  replied  I. 

"  I  believe  it,"  said  she.  "  Then,  can  you  leave  the  shop  and 
come  to  me  to-morrow  evening  ?" 

"  Yes,  if  you  will  send  your  maid  for  me,  saying  that  you  are 
not  well." 

"  I  will,  at  eight  o'clock.    Farewell,  then,  till  to-morrow." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  29 


CHAPTER  V. 

MY  VANITY  RECEIVES  A  DESPERATE    WOUND,  BUT  MY  HEART  REMAINS 

UNSCATHED AN      ANOMALY     IN     WOMAN,      ONE     WHO      DESPISES 

BEAUTY. 

THE  next  evening  I  left  Timothy  in  charge,  and  repaired  to  her 
house;  it  was  very  respectable  in  outward  appearance,  as  well 
as  its  furniture.  I  was  not,  however,  shown  up  into  the  first 
floor,  but  into  the  room  below. 

"Miss  Judd  will  come  directly,  sir,"  said  a  tall,  meagre,  puri- 
tanical looking  maid,  shutting  the  door  upon  me.  In  a  few 
minutes,  during  which  my  pulse  beat  quick,  (for  I  could  not 
but  expect  some  disclosure ;  whether  it  was  to  be  one  of  love  or 
murder,  I  hardly  knew  which,)  Miss  Aramathea  Judd,  for  such 
was  her  Christian  name,  made  her  appearance,  and  sitting  down 
on  the  sofa,  requested  me  to  take  a  seat  by  her. 

"  Mr.  Newland,"  said  she,  "  I  wish  to — and  I  think  I  cau 
entrust  you  with  a  secret  most  important  to  me.  Why  I  am 
obliged  to  do  it,  you  will  perfectly  comprehend  when  you  have 
heard  my  story.  Tell  me,  are  you  attached  to  me  ?" 

This  was  a  home  question  to  a  forward  lad  of  sixteen.  I 
took  her  by  the  hand,  and  when  I  looked  down  on  it,  I  felt  as 
if  I  was.  I  looked  up  into  her  face,  and  felt  that  I  was  not. 
And,  as  I  now  was  close  to  her,  I  perceived  that  she  must  have 
lome  aromatic  drug  in  her  mouth,  as  it  smelt  strongly — this 
gave  me  the  supposition  that  the  breath  which  drew  such  melo- 
dious tones  was  not  equally  sweet,  and  I  felt  a  certain  increased 
degree  of  disgust. 

" I  am  very  grateful,  Miss  Judd,"  replied  I;  "I  hope  I  shall 
prove  that  I  am  attached  when  you  confide  in  me." 

"  Swear,  then,  by  all  that's  sacred,  you  will  not  reveal  what 
I  do  confide." 

"  By  all  that's  sacred  I  will  not,"  replied  I,  kissing  her  hand 
with  more  fervour  than  I  expected  from  myself. 


80  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Do  me  then  the  favour  to  excuse  me  one  minute."  Sho 
left  the  room,  and  in  a  very  short  time  there  returned,  in  tho 
same  dress,  and  in  every  other  point  the  same  person,  but  with 
a  young  and  lively  face  of  not  more,  apparently,  than  twenty- 
two  or  twenty-three  years ^ld.*  I  started  as  if  I  had  seen  an 
apparition.  "  Yes,"  sai^he,  smiling,  "  you  now  see  Araniathea 
Judd  without  disguise;  and  you  are  the  first  who  has  seen  that 
free  for  more  than  two  years.  Before  I  proceed  further,  again 
I  say,  may  I  trust  you — swear  1" 

"  I  do  swear,"  replied  I,  and  took  her  hand  for  the  book, 
which  this  time  I  kissed  with  pleasure,  over  and  over  again. 
Like  a  young  jackass  as  I  was,  I  still  retained  her  hand,  throw- 
ing as  much  persuasion  as  I  possibly  could  in  my  eyes.  In  fact, 
I  did  enough  to  have  softened  the  hearts  of  three  bonnet- 
makers.  I  began  to  feel  most  dreadfully  in  love,  and  thought 
of  marriage,  and  making  my  fortune,  and  I  don't  know  what; 
but  all  this  was  put  an  end  to  by  one  simple  short  sentence, 
delivered  in  a  very  decided  but  soft  voice,  "  Japhet,  don't  be 
Billy." 

I  was  crushed,  and  all  my  hopes  crushed  with  me.  I  drop- 
ped her  hand,  aid  sat  like  a  fool. 

"  And  now  hear  me.  I  am,  as  you  must  have  already  found 
out,  an  impostor  ;  that  is,  I  am  what  is  called  a  religious  ad- 
venturess— a  new  term,  I  grant,  and  perhaps  oiilv  applicable  to 
a  very  few.  My  aunt  was  considered,  by  a  certain  set,  to  be  a 
great  prophetess,  which  I  hardly  need  tell  you  was  all  nonsense; 
nevertheless,  there  are  hundreds  who  believed  in  her,  and  do  so 
now.  Brought  up  with  my  aunt,  I  soon  found  out  what  fools 
and  dupes  may  be  made  of  mankind  by  taking  advantage  of 
their  credulity.  She  had  her  religious  inspirations,  her  trances, 
and  her  convulsions,  and  I  was  always  behind  the  scenes  ;  she 
confided  in  me,  and  I  may  say  that  I  was  her  only  confidant.- 
You  cannot,  therefore,  wonder  at  my  practising  that  deceit  to 
which  I  have  been  brought  up  from  almost  my  infancy.  In 
person  I  am  the  exact  counterpart  of  what  my  aunt  was  at  my 
Age,  equallv  so  in  figure,  although  my  figure  is  now  disguised 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  31 

to  resemble  that  of  a  woman  of  her  age.  I  often  had  dressed 
myself  in  my  aunt's  clothes,  put  on  her  cap  and  front,  and  then 
the  resemblance  was  very  striking.  My  aunt  fell  sick  and  died, 
but  she  promised  the  disciples  that  she  would  re-appear  to 
them,  and  they  believed  her.  I  did  not.  She  was  buried,  and 
by  many  her  return  was  anxiously  expected.  It  occurred  to 
me  about  a  week  afterwards  that  I  might  contrive  to  deceive 
them.  I  dressed  in  my  aunt's  clothes,  I  painted  and  disguised 
my  face  as  you  have  seen,  and  the  deception  was  complete, 
even  to  myself,  as  I  surveyed  my  countenance  in  the  glass.  I 
boldly  set  off  in  the  evening  to  the  tabernacle,  which  I  knew 
they  still  frequented — came  into  the  midst  of  them,  and  they 
fell  down  and  worshipped  me  as  a  prophetess  risen  from  the 
dead  ;  deceived,  indeed,  by  my  appearance,  but  still  more  de- 
ceived by  their  own  credulity.  For  two  years  I  have  been 
omnipotent  with  them  ;  but  there  is  one  difficulty  which  shakes 
the  faith  of  the  new  converts,  and  new  converts  I  must  have, 
Japhet,  as  the  old  ones  die,  or  I  should  not  be  able  to  fee  my 
physician.  It  is  this:  by  habit  I  can  almost  throw  myself 
into  a  stupor  or  a  convulsion,  but  to  do  that  effectually,  tc  be 
able  to  carry  on  the  deception  for  so  long  a  time,  and  to  un- 
dergo the  severe  fatigue  attending  such  violent  exertion,  it  is  ne- 
cessary that  I  have  recourse  to  stimulants — do  you  understand  ?" 

"  I  do,"  replied  I  ;  "  I  have  more  than  once  thought  you 
under  the  influence  of  them  towards  the  evening.  I'm  afraid 
that  you  take  more  than  is  good  for  your  health." 

"  Not  more  than  I  require  for  what  I  have  to  undergo  to 
keep  up  the  faith  of  my  disciples  ;  but  there  are  many  who 
waver,  some  who  doubt,  and  I  find  that  my  movements  are 
watched.  I  cannot  trust  the  woman  in  this  house.  I  think 
ehe  is  a  spy  set  upon  me,  but  I  cannot  remove  her,  as  this 
house,  and  all  which  it  contains,  are  not  mine,  but  belong  to  the 
disciples  in  general.  There  is  another  woman,  not  far  off,  who 
is  my  rival  ;  she  calls  me  an  impostor,  and  says  that  she  is  the 
true  prophetess,  and  that  I  am  not  one.  This  will  be  rather 
dinVult  for  her  to  prove,"  continued  she,  with  a  mocking  smile 


32  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Beset  as  I  am,  I  require  your  assistance  ;  for  you  must  be 
aware  that  it  is  rather  discreditable  to  a  prophetess,  who  ha? 
risen  from  the  dead,  to  be  seen  all  day  at  the  gin-shop,  yet 
without  stimulants  now  I  could  not  exist." 

"  And  how  can  I  assist  you  ?" 

"  By  sending  me,  as  medicine,  that  which  I  dare  no  longer 
procure  in  any  other  way,  and  keeping  the  secret  which  I  have 
imparted." 

"  I  will  do  both  with  pleasure  ;  but  yet,"  said  I,  "  is  it  not  a 
pity,  a  thousand  pities,  that  one  so  young — and  if  you  will 
allow  me  to  add,  so  lovely,  should  give  herself  up  to  ardent 
spirits  t  Why,"  continued  I,  taking  her  small  white  hand, 
"  why  should  you  carry  on  the  deception  :  why  sacrifice  your 

health,  and  I  may  say  your  happiness "  What  more  I 

might  have  said  I  know  not,  probably  it  might  have  b«;en  an 
offer  of  marriage,  but  she  cut  me  short. 

"  Why  does  every  body  sacrifice  their  health,  their  happiness, 
their  all,  but  for  ambition  and  the  love  of  power  ?  It  is  true, 
as  long  as  this  little  beauty  lasts,  I  might  be  courted  as  a 
woman,  but  never  should  I  be  worshipped  as — I  may  say — a 
god. — No,  no,  there  is  something  too  delightful  in  that  adora- 
tion, something  too  pleasant  in  witnessing  a  crowd  of  fools  stare, 
and  men  of  three  times  my  age,  falling  down  and  kissing  the 
hem  of  my  garment.  This  is,  indeed,  adoration  !  the  delight 
arising  from  it  is  so  great,  that  all  other  passions  are  crushed  by  it 
— it  absorbs  all  other  feelings,  and  has  closed  my  heart  even 
against  love,  Japhet.  I  could  not,  I  would  not  debase  myself, 
Bink  so  low  in  my  own  estimation,  as  to  allow  so  paltry  a  passion 
to  have  dominion  over  me  ;  and,  indeed,  now  that  I  am  so  wed- 
ded to  stimulants,  even  if  I  were  no  longer  a  prophetess,  it  never 
eould  ?" 

"  But  is  not  intoxication  one  of  the  most  debasing  of  all 
habits." 

"  I  grant  you,  in  itself,  but  with  me  and  in  my  situation  it  is 
different.  I  fall  to  rise  again,  and  higher.  I  cannot  be  what  I 
am  without  I  stimulate — I  cannot  stimulate  without  stim- 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  33 

alants,  therefore  it  is  but  a  means  to  a  great  and  gloriou? 
ambition." 

I  had  more  conversation  with  her  before  I  left,  but  nothing 
appeared  to  move  her  resolution,  and  I  left  her,  lamenting  iu 
the  first  place,  that  she  had  abjured  love,  because,  notwithstand 
ing  the  orris  root,  which  she  kept  in  her  mouth  to  take  away 
the  smell  of  the  spirits,  I  found  myself  very  much  taken  with 
such  beauty  of  person,  combined  with  so  much  vigour  of  mind ; 
and  in  the  second,  that  one  so  young  should  carry  on  a  system 
of  deceit  and  self-destruction.  When  I  rose  to  go  away  she  put 
five  guineas  in  my  hand  to  enable  me  to  purchase  what  she  re- 
quired. "  Add  to  this  one  small  favor,"  said  I,  "  Aramathea — 
allow  me  a  kiss." 

"  A  kiss,"  replied  she,  with  scorn  ;  "  no,  Japhet,  look  upon 
me,  for  it  is  the  last  time  you  will  behold  my  youth  !  look  upon 
me  as  a  sepulchre,  fair  without  but  unsavory  and  rottenness 
within.  Let  me  do  you  a  greater  kindness,  let  me  awaken  your 
dormant  energies,  and  plant  that  ambition  in  your  soul,  which 
may  lead  to  all  that  is  great  and  good — a  better  path  and  more 
worthy  of  a  man  than  the  one  which  I  have  partly  chosen,  and 
partly  destiny  has  decided  for  me.  Look  upon  me  as  your 
friend  ;  although,  perhaps,  you  truly  say,  no  friend  unto  myself. 
Farewell — remember  that  to-morrow  you  will  send  the  medicine 
which  I  require." 

I  left  her,  and  returned  home  :  it  was  late.  I  went  to  bed, 
and  having  disclosed  as  much  to  Timothy  as  I  could  safely  ven- 
ture to  do,  I  fell  fast  asleep,  but  her  figure  and  her  voice  haunt- 
ed me  in  my  dreams.  At  one  time,  she  appeared  before  me  in 
her  painted,  enamelled  face,  and  then  the  mask  fell  off,  and  I 
fell  at  her  feet  to  worship  her  extreme  beauty  ;  then  her  beauty 
would  vanish,  and  she  would  appear  an  image  of  loathsomeness 
and  deformity,  and  I  felt  suffocated  with  the  atmosphere  im- 
pregnated with  the  smell  of  liquor.  I  would  awake  and  compose 
myself  again,  glad  to  be  rid  of  the  horrid  dream,  but  again 
would  she  appear,  with  a  hydra's  tail,  like  Sin  in  Milton's  Para- 
dise Lost,  wind  herself  round  me,  her  beautiful  face  gradually 


34  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

changing  into  that  of  a  skeleton.  I  cried  out  with  terror,  and 
awoke  to  sleep  no  more,  and  effectually  cured  by  my  dream 
of  the  penchant  which  I  felt  towards  Miss  Aramathea  Judd. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

IfY  PRESCRIPTIONS  VERY  EFFECTIVE  AND  PALATABLE,  BUT  I  LOSE  MY 
PATIENT — THE    FEUD    EQUAL    TO    THAT    OF   THE    MONTAGUES    AND 

THE     CAPULETS RESULTS     DIFFERENT MERCUTIO      COMES     OFF 

UNHURT. 

THE  next  day  I  sent  Timothy  to  purchase  some  highly  rectified 
white  brandy,  which  I  coloured  with  a  blue  tincture,  and  added 
to  it  a  smalf  proportion  of  the  essence  of  cinnamon,  to  disguise 
the  smell  ;  a  dozen  large  vials,  carefully  tied  up  and  sealed, 
were  dispatched  to  her  abod«  She  now  seldom  called  unless  it 
was  early  in  the  morning  ;  I  made  repeated  visits  to  her  house 
to  receive  money,  but  no  longer  to  make  love.  One  day  I  re- 
quested permission  to  be  present  at  their  meeting,  and  to  this 
she  gave  immediate  consent ;  indeed  we  were  on  the  most  inti- 
mate terms,  and  when  she  perceived  that  I  no  longer  attempted 
to  play  the  fool,  I  was  permitted  to  remain  for  hours  with  her  in 
conversation.  She  had,  as  she  told  me  she  intended,  re-enamel- 
led and  painted  her  face,  but  knowing  what  beauty  was  con- 
cealed underneath,  I  no  longer  felt  any  disgust. 

Timothy  was  very  much  pleased  at  his  share  of  this  arrange- 
ment, as  he  seldom  brought  her  the  medicine  without  pocketing 
half-a-crown. 

For  two  or  three  months  every  thing  went  on  very  satisfac- 
torily ;  but  one  evening,  Timothy,  who  had  been  sent  with  the 
basket  of  vials  for  Miss  Jadd's  assistance,  returned  in  great 
consternation,  informing  me  that  tfce  house  was  empty.  He  had 
inquired  of  the  neighbours,  and  from  the  accounts  given,  which 
were  very  contradictory,  it  appeared  that  the  rival  prophetess 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER  35 

had  marched  up  at  the  head  of  her  proselytes  the  evening 
oefore,  and  obtained  entrance,  and  that  a  desperate  contention 
had  been  the  result.  That  the  police  had  been  called  in,  and 
all  parties  had  been  lodged  in  the  watch-house  :  that  the  whole 
affair  was  being  investigated  by  the  magistrates,  and  that  it 
was  said  that  Miss  Judd  and  all  her  coadjutors  would  be  sent 
to  the  Penitentiary.  This  was  quite  enough  to  frighten  two 
boys  like  us ;  for  days  afterwards  we  trembled  when  people  came 
into  the  shop,  expecting  to  be  summoned  and  imprisoned.  Gra- 
dually, however,  our  fears  were  dismissed,  but  I  never  from  that 
time  heard  any  thing  more  of  Miss  Aramathea  Judd. 

After  this  affair,  I  adhered  steadily  to  my  business,  and  pro- 
fiting by  the  advice  given  me  by  that  young  person,  improved 
rapidly  in  my  profession,  as  well  as  in  general  knowledge  ;  but 
my  thoughts,  as  usual,  were  upon  one  subject — my  parentage, 
and  the  mystery  hanging  over  it.  My  eternal  reveries  became 
at  last  so  painful,  that  I  had  recourse  to  reading  to  drive  them 
away,  and  subscribing  to  a  good  circulating  library,  I  was  sel- 
dom without  a  book  in  my  hand.  By  this  time  I  had  been 
nearly  two  years  and  a  half  with  Mr.  Cophagus,  when  an  ad- 
venture occurred  which  I  must  attempt  to  describe  with  all  the 
dignity  with  which  it  ought  to  be  invested. 

This  is  a  world  of  ambition,  competition,  and  rivalry.  Nation 
rivals  nation,  and  Qies  to  arms,  cutting  the  throats  of  a  few  thou 
sands  on  each  side  till  one  finds  that  it  has  the  worst  of  it.  Mau 
rivals  man,  and  hence  detraction,  duels,  and  individual  death. 
Woman  rivals  woman,  and  hence  loss  of  reputation  and  position 
in  high,  and  loss  of  hair,  and  fighting  with  pattens  in  low,  life. 
Are  we  then  to  be  surprised  that  this  universal  passion,  unde- 
terred by  the  smell  of  drugs  and  poisonous  compounds,  should 
enter  into  apothecaries'  shops  ?  But  two  streets — two  very 
ghort  streets  from  our  own — was  situated  the  single-fronted 
shop  of  Mr.  Ebenczer  Pleggit.  Thank  Heaven,  it  was  only 
single-fronted  ;  there,  at  jpust,  we  had  the  ascendency  over 
them.  Upon  other  points,  our  advantages  were  more  equally 
balanced  Mr.  Pleggit  had  two  large  coloured  bottles  in  hip 


86  JArHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER. 

wiudows  more  than  we  had  ;  but  then  we  had  two  horses,  and 
he  had  only  one.  He  tied  over  the  corks  of  his  bottles  with  red- 
coloured  paper  ;  we  covered  up  the  lips  of  our  vials  with  deli- 
cate blue.  It  certainly  was  the  case — for  though  an  enemy  I'll 
do  him  justice — that,  after  Mr.  Brookes  had  left  us,  Mr  Pleggit 
had  two  shopmen,  and  Mr.  Cophagus  only  one  ;  but  then  that 
one  was  Mr.  Japhet  Newland  ;  besides,  one  of  his  assistants 
had  only  one  eye,  the  other  squinted  horribly,  so  if  we  mea- 
sured by  eyes,  I  think  the  advantage  was  actually  on  our  side  ; 
and.  as  far  as  ornament  went,  most  decidedly  ;  for  who  would 
not  prefer  putting  on  his  chimney-piece  one  handsome,  elegant 
vase,  than  two  damaged,  ill-looking  pieces  of  crockery  ?  Mr. 
Pleggit  had  certainly  a  gilt  mortar  and  pestle  over  his  door, 
which  Mr.  Cophagus  had  omitted  when  he  furnished  his  shop ; 
but  then  the  mortar  had  a  great  crack  down  the  middle,  and 
the  pestle  had  lost  its  knob.  And  let  me  ask  those  who  have 
been  accustomed  to  handle  it,  what  is  a  pestle  without  a  knob  ? 
On  the  whole,  1  think,  with  the  advantage  of  having  two 
fronts,  like  Janus,  we  certainly  had  the  best  of  the  comparison; 
but  I  shall  leave  the  impartial  to  decide. 

All  I  can  say  is,  that  the  feuds  of  the  rival  houses  were  most, 
bitter — the  hate  intense — the  mutual  scorn  unmeasurable. 
Did  Mr.  Ebenezer  Pleggit  meet  Mr.  Phineas  Cophagus  in  the 
street,  the  former  immediately  began  to  spit  as  if  he  had  swal- 
lowed some  of  his  own  vile  adulterated  drugs  ;  and  in  rejoin- 
der, Mr.  Cophagus  immediately  raised  the  cane  from  his  nose 
high  above  his  forehead  in  so  threatening  an  attitude  as  almost 
to  warrant  the  other  swearing  the  peace  against  him,  muttering, 
"  Ugly  puppy — knows  nothing — um — patients  die — and  so  on." 

It  may  be  well  supposed  that  this  spirit  of  enmity  extended 
through  the  lower  branches  of  the  rival  houses — the  assistants 
and  I  were  at  deadly  feud  ;  and  this  feud  was  even  more 
deadly  between  the  boys  who  carried  out  the  medicines,  and 
whose  baskets  might,  in  some  meagre,  have  been  looked  upon 
as  the  rival  ensigns  of  the  parties,  they  themselves  occupying 
the  dangerous  and  honourable  post  of  standard  bearers. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  37 

Timothy,  although  the  kindest-hearted  fellow  in  the  world, 
was  as  good  a  hater  as  Dr.  Johnson  himself  could  have  wished 
to  meet  with  ;  and  wheu  sometimes  his  basket  was  not  so  well 
filled  as  usual,  he  would  fill  it  up  with  cn.pty  bottles  below 
rather  than  that  the  credit  of  the  house  should  be  suspected, 
and  his  deficiencies  create  a  smile  of  scorn  in  the  mouth  of  his 
red-haired  antagonist,  when  they  happeued  to  meet  going  their 
rounds.  As  yet,  no  actual  collision  had  taken  place  between 
either  the  principals  or  the  subordinates  of  the  hostile  factions ; 
but  it  was  fated  that  this  state  of  quiescence  should  no  longer 
remain. 

Homer  has  sung  the  battle  of  gods,  demigods,  and  heroes  ; 
Milton  the  strife  of  angels.  Swift  has  been  great  in  his  Battle 
of  the  Books  ;  but  I  am  not  aware  that  the  battle  of  the  vials 
has  as  yet  been  sung  ;  and  it  requires  a  greater  genius  than 
was  to  be  found  in  those  who  portrayed  the  conflicts  of  heroes, 
demigods,  gods,  angels,  or  books,  to  do  adequate  justice  to  the 
mortal  strife  which  took  place  between  the  lotions,  potions, 
draughts,  pills,  and  embrocations.  I  must  tell  the  story  as 
well  as  I  can,  leaving  it  as  an  outline  for  a  future  epic. 

Burning  with  all  the  hate  which  infuriated  the  breasts  of 
the  two  houses  of  Capulet  and  Montagu,  hate  each  day  increas- 
ing from  years  of  "  biting  thumbs "  at  each  other,  and  yet  n<? 
excuse  presenting  itself  for  an  affray,  Timothy  Oldmixon — for 
on  such  an  occasion  it  would  be  a  sin  to  omit  his  whole  designa- 
tion— Timothy  Oldmixon,  I  say,  burning  with  hate  and  eager 
with  haste,  turning  a  corner  of  the  street  with  his  basket  well 
filled  with  medicines  hanging  on  his  left  arm,  encountered, 
equally  eager  in  his  haste,  and  equally  burning  in  his  hate,  the 
red-haired  Mercury  of  Mr.  Ebenezer  Pleggit.  Great  was  the 
concussion  of  the  opposing  baskets,  dire  was  the  crash  of  many 
of  the  vials,  and  dreadful  was  the  mingled  odour  of  the  abomi- 
nations which  escaped,  and  poured  through  the  wicked  inter- 
stices Two  ladies  from  BiEingsgate,  who  were  near,  indulging 
their  rhetorical  powers,  stopped  short.  Two  tom-cats,  who 
were  on  an  adjacent  roof,  just  fixing  their  eyes  of  enmity  and 


38  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

about  to  fix  their  claws,  turned  their  eyes  to  the  scene  below 
Two  political  antagonists  stopped  their  uoisy  arguments.  Two 
dustmen  ceased  to  ring  their  bells  ;  and  two  little  urchins  eat- 
ing cherries  from  the  crowns  of  their  hats,  lost  sight  of  their 
fruit,  and  stood  aghast  with  fear.  They  met,  and  met  with 
such  violence,  that  they  each  rebounded  many  paces  ;  but  like 
stalwart  knights,  each  kept  his  basket  and  his  feet.  A  few 
seconds  to  recover  breath  ;  one  withering,  fiery  look  from 
Timothy,  returned  by  his  antagonist,  one  flash  of  the  memory 
in  each  to  tell  them  that  they  each  had  the  la  on  their  side, 
and  "  Take  that  1"  was  roared  by  Timothy,  planting  a  well- 
directed  blow  with  his  dexter  and  dexterous  hand  upon  the 
sinister  and  simsterous  eye  of  his  opponent.  "  Take  that  I" 
Continued  he,  as  his  adversary  reeled  back  ;  "  take  that,  and 
be  d d  to  you,  for  running  against  a  gentleman." 

He  of  the  rubicund  hair  had  retreated,  because  so  violent 
was  the  blow  he  could  not  help  so  doing,  and  we  all  must  yield 
to  fate.  But  it  was  not  from  fear.  Seizing  a  vile  potation 
that  was  labelled  "  To  be  taken  immediately,"  and  hurling  it 
with  demoniacal  force  right  on  the  chops  of  the  courageous 
Timothy,  "  Take  that  !"  cried  he  with  a  rancorous  yell.  This 
missile,  well  directed  as  the  spears  of  Homer's  heroes,  came  full 
upon  the  bridge  of  Timothy's  nose,  and  the  fragile  glass  shiver- 
ing, inflicted  divers  wounds  upon  his  physiognomy,  and  at  the 
Bume  time  poured  forth  a  dark  burut-sienna-coloured  balsam, 
to  heal  them,  giving  pain  unutterable.  Timothy,  disdaining  to 
lament  the  agony  of  his  wounds,  followed  the  example  of  his 
antagonist,  and  hastily  seizing  a  similar  bottle  of  much  larger 
dimensions,  threw  it  with  such  force  that  it  split  between  the 
sycs  of  his  opponent.  Thus  with  these  dreadful  weapons  did 
they  commence  the  mortal  strife. 

The  lovers  of  good  order,  or  at  least  of  fair  play,  gathered 
round  the  combatants,  forming  an  almost  impregnable  ring, 
yet  of  sufficient  dimensions  to  avoid  the  missiles.  "  Go  it, 
red-head!"  "Bravo!  white  apron!"  resounded  on  every  side 
Draughts  now  met  draughts  in  their  passage  through  the  cir 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  39 

curnambient  air,  and  exploded  like  shells  over  a  besieged  town. 
Boluses  were  fired  with  the  precision  of  cannon  shot,  pill- 
boxes were  thrown  with  such  force  that  they  burst  like  grape 
and  canister,  while  acids  and  alkalies  hissed,  as  they  neutral- 
ized each  other's  power,  with  all  the  venom  of  expiring  snakes. 
41  Bravo  !  white  apron  !"  "  Red-head  for  ever  !"  resounded  on 
every  side  as  the  conflict  continued  with  unabated  vigour 
The  ammunition  was  fast  expending  on  both  sides,  when  Mr. 
Ebenezer  Pleggit,  hearing  the  noise,  and  perhaps  smelling  his 
own  drugs,  was  so  unfortunately  rash  and  so  unwisely  fool- 
hardy as  to  break  through  the  sacred  ring,  advancing  from 
behind  with  uplifted  cane  to  fell  the  redoubtable  Timothy, 
when  a  mixture  of  his  own,  hurled  by  his  own  red-haired  cham- 
pion, caught  him  in  his  open  mouth,  breaking  against  his  only 
two  remaining  front  teeth,  extracting  them  as  the  discharged 
liquid  ran  down  his  throat,  and  turning  him  as  sick  as  a  dog. 
He  fell,  was  taken  away  on  a  shutter,  and  it  was  some  days 
before  he  was  again  to  be  seen  in  his  shop,  dispensing  those 
medicines  which,  on  this  fatal  occasion,  he  would  but  too 
gladly  have  dispensed  with. 

Reader,  have  you  not  elsewhere  read  in  the  mortal  fray 
between  knights,  when  the  casque  has  been  beaten  off,  the 
shield  lost,  and  the  sword  shivered,  how  they  have  resorted  to 
closer  and  more  deadly  strife  with  their  daggers  raised  on 
high  ?  Thus  it  was  with  Timothy  :  his  means  had  failed,  and 
disdaining  any  longer  to  wage  a  distant  combat,  he  closed 
vigorously  with  his  panting  enemy,  overthrew  him  in  the  first 
struggle,  seizing  from  his  basket  the  only  weapons  which 
remained,  one  single  vial,  and  one  single  box  of  pills.  As  he 
sat  upon  his  prostrate  foe,  first  he  forced  the  box  of  pills  into 
his  gasping  mouth,  and  then  with  the  lower  end  of  the  vial  he 
drove  it  down  his  throat,  as  a  gunner  rams  home  the  wad  and 
shot  into  a  thirty-two  pound  carronade.  Choked  with  the  box, 
the  fallen  knight  held  up  his  hands  for  quarter  ;  but  Timothy 
continued  until  the  end  of  the  vial,  breaking  out  the  top  and 
bottom  of  the  pasteboard  receptacle,  forty-and-eight  of  anti- 


iO  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

bilious  pills  rolled  in  haste  down  red-head's  throat.  Timothy 
then  seized  his  basket,  and  amid  the  shouts  of  triumph,  walked 
away.  His  fallen-crested  adversary  coughed  up  the  remuante 
of  the  pasteboard,  once  more  breathed,  and  was  led  disconso- 
late to  the  neighbouring  pump  ;  while  Timothy  regained  our 
•hop  with  his  blushing  honours  thick  upon  him. 

But  I  must  drop  the  Tain  heroical.  Mr.  Cophagus,  who 
was  at  home  when  Timothy  returned,  was  at  first  very  much 
inclined  to  be  wroth  at  the  loss  of  so  much  medicine  ;  but  when 
he  heard  the  story,  and  the  finale,  he  was  so  pleased  at  Tim's 
double  victory  over  Mr.  Pleggit  and  u;s  messenger,  that  he 
actually  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket,  and  pulled  out  half-a- 
crown. 

Mr.  Pleggit,  on  the  contrary,  was  any  thing  but  pleased  ; 
he  went  to  a  lawyer,  and  commenced  an  action  for  assault  and 
battery,  and  all  the  neighbourhood  did  nothing  but  talk  about 
the  affray  which  had  taken  place,  and  the  action  at  law  which 
it  was  said  would  take  place  in  the  ensuing  term. 

But  with  the  exception  of  this  fracas,  which  ended  in  the 
action  not  holding  good,  whereby  the  animosity  was  increased, 
I  have  little -to  recount  during  the  remainder  of  the  time  1 
served  under  Mr.  Cophagus.  I  had  been  more  than  three 
years  with  him  when  my  confinement  became  insupportable. 
I  had  but  one  idea,  which  performed  an  everlasting  cycle  in  my 
brain — Who  was  my  father  ?  And  I  should  have  abandoned 
the  profession  to  search  the  world  in  the  hope  of  finding  my 
progenitor,  had  it  not  been  that  I  was  without  the  means. 
Latterly,  I  had  hoarded  up  all  I  could  collect  ;  but  the  sum 
was  small,  much  too  small  for  the  proposed  expedition.  I 
became  melancholy,  indifferent  to  the  business,  and  slovenly 
in  my  appearance,  when  a  circumstance  occurred  which  put 
an  end  to  my  further  dispensing  medicines,  and  left  me  a  fret 
agent. 


JAFHET,    IS    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  41 


CHAPTER  VII. 

LOOKING  OUT  FOR  BUSINESS  NOT  EXACTLY  MINDING  YOUR  OWN    BUSJ« 

NESS THE  LOSS  OF    THE    SCALES  OCCASIONS    THE  LOSS  OF  PLACB 

TO    TIMOTHY    AND    ME,    WHO    WHEN    WEIGHED    IN    OTHER    SCALES 

WERE    FOUND    WANTING WE    BUNDLE    OFF    WITH    OUR    BUNDLES 

ON. 

IT  happened  one  market-day  that  there  was  an  overdriven, 
infuriated  beast,  which  was  making  sad  havoc.  Crowds  of 
people  were  running  past  our  shop  in  one  direction,  and  the 
cries  of  "  Mad  bull  ?"  were  re-echoed  in  every  quarter.  Mr. 
Cophagus,  who  was  in  the  shop,  and  to  whom,  as  I  have 
before  observed,  a  mad  bull  was  a  source  of  great  proflt,  very 
naturally  looked  out  of  the  shop  to  ascertain  whether  the 
animal  was  near  to  us.  In  most  other  countries,  when  people 
hear  of  any  danger,  they  generally  avoid  it  by  increasing  their 
distance  ;  but  in  England,  it  is  too  often  the  case,  that  they 
are  so  fond  of  indulging  their  curiosity,  that  they  run  to  the 
danger.  Mr.  Cophagus,  who  perceived  the  people  running  one 
way,  naturally  supposed,  not  being  aware  of  the  extreme  prox- 
imity of  the  animal,  that  the  people  were  running  to  see  what 
was  the  matter,  and  turned  his  eyes  in  that  direction,  walking 
out  on  the  pavement  that  he  might  have  a  fairer  view.  He 
was  just  observing,  "  Can't  say — fear — um — rascal  Pleggit — 
close  to  him — get  all  the  custom — wounds — contusions — and 

"  when  the  animal  came  suddenly  round  the  corner  upon 

Mr.  Cophagus,  who  had  his  eyes  the  other  way,  and  before  he 
could  escape,  tossed  him  through  his  own  shop  windows,  and 
landed  him  on  the  counter.  Not  satisfied  with  this,  the  beast 
followed  him  into  the  shop.  Timothy  and  I  pulled  Mr.  Cop- 
bagus  over  towards  us,  and  he  dropped  inside  the  counter, 
where  we  also  crouched,  frightened  out  of  our  wits.  To  our 
great  horror  the  bull  made  one  or  two  attempts  to  leap  the 
Counter  ;  but  not  succeeding,  and  being  now  attacked  by  the 


I '2  JAl'HET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER. 

dogs  and  butcher  boys,  he  charged  at  them  through  the  door, 
carrying  away  our  best  scales  on  his  horns  as  a  trophy,  as  he 
galloped  out  of  the  shop  in  pursuit  of  his  persecutors.  AVhrii 
the  shouts  and  hallooes  were  at  some  little  distance,  Timothy 
and  I  raised  our  heads  and  looked  round  us  ;  and  perceiving 
that  all  was  safe,  we  proceeded  to  help  Mr.  Cophagus,  who 
remained  on  the  floor  bleeding,  and  in  a  state  of  insensibility. 
We  carried  him  into  the  back  parlour  and  laid  him  on  the 
sofa.  I  desired  Timothy  to  run  for  surgical  aid  as  fast  as  he 
could,  while  I  opened  a  vein ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  returned 
with  our  opponent,  Mr.  Ebenezer  Pleggit.  We  stripped  Mr. 
Cophagus,  and  proceeded  to  examine  him.  "  Bad  case  this — 
very  bad  case,  indeed,  Mr.  Newland — dislocation  of  the  os 
humeri — severe  contusion  on  the  os  frontis — and  I'm  very 
much  afraid  there  is  some  intercostal  injury.  Very  sorry, 
very  sorry,  indeed,  for  my  brother  Cophagus."  But  Mr. 
Pleggit  did  not  appear  to  be  sorry ;  on  the  contrary,  he 
appeared  to  perform  his  surgical  duties  with  the  greatest 
glee. 

We  reduced  the  dislocation,  and  then  carried  Mr.  Cophagus 
up  to  his  bed.  In  an  hour  he  was  sensible  ;  and  Mr.  Pleggit 
took  his  departure,  shaking  hands  with  Mr.  Cophagus,  and 
wishing  him  joy  of  his  providential  escape.  "  Bad  job,  Japhet/' 
said  Mr.  Cophagus  to  me. 

"  Very  bad,  indeed,  sir  ;  but  it  might  have  been  worse." 

"  Worse — um — no,  nothing  worse — not  possible." 

"  Why,  sir,  you  might  have  been  killed." 

"  Pooh  !  didn't  mean  that — mean  Pleggit — rascal — um — kill 
me  if  he  can — shan't  though — soon  get  rid  of  him — and  so 
on." 

"  You  will  not  require  his  further  attendance  now  that  your 
shoulder  is  reduced.  I  can  very  well  attend  upon  you  " 

"  Very  true,  Japhet  ; — but  won't  go — sure  of  that — damned 
rascal — quite  pleased — I  saw  it — um — eyes  twinkled — smile 
checked — and  so  on.'' 

That  evening  Mr  Pleggit  calico  in  as  Mr.  Coplfagus  said 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER,  43 

that  he  would,  and  the  latter  showed  a  great  deal  of  impa- 
tience ;  but  Mr.  Pleggit  repeated  his  visits  over  and  over  again, 
and  I  observed  that  Mr.  Cophagus  no  longer  made  any  objec- 
tion ;  on  the  contrary,  seemed  anxious  for  his  coming,  and  still 
more  so,  after  he  was  convalescent,  and  able  to  sit  at  his  table. 
But  the  mystery  was  soon  divulged.  It  appeared  that  Mr. 
Cophagus,  although  he  was  very  glad  that  other  people  should 
suffer  from  mad  bulls,  and  come  to  be  cured,  viewed  the  case  in 
a  very  different  light  when  the  bull  thought  proper  to  toss  him, 
and  having  now  realised  a  comfortable  independence,  'he  had 
resolved  to  retire  from  business,  and  from  a  site  attended  with 
so  much  danger.  A  hint  of  this  escaping  him  when  Mr.  Pleggit 
was  attending  him  on  the  third  day  after  his  accident,  the  latter, 
who  knew  the  value  of  the  locale,  also  hinted  that  if  Mr 
Cophagus  was  inclined  so  to  do,  that  he  would  be  most  happy 
to  enter  into  an  arrangement  with  him.  Self-interest  will  not 
only  change  friendship  into  enmity,  in  this  rascally  world,  but 
also  turn  enmity  into  friendship.  All  Mr.  Pleggit's  enormities, 
and  all  Mr.  Cophagus's  shameful  conduct,  were  mutually  for- 
gotten. In  less  than  ten  minutes  it  was  "  My  dear  Mr.  Pleggit, 
and  so  on,"  and  "  My  dear  brother  Cophagus." 

In  three  weeks  every  thing  had  been  arranged  between  them, 
and  the  shop,  fixtures,  stock  in  trade,  and  good  will,  were  all 
the  property  of  our  ancient  antagonist.  But  although  Mr. 
Pleggit  could  shake  hands  with  Mr.  Cophagus  for  his  fixtures 
and  good  -will,  yet  as  Timothy  and  I  were  not  included  in  the 
good  will,  neither  were  we  included  among  the  fixtures,  and  Mr 
Cophagus  could  not,  of  course,  iuferfere  with  Mr.  Pleggit's 
private  arrangements.  He  did  all  he  could  do  in  the  way  of 
recommendation  ;  but  Mr.  Pleggit  had  not  forgotten  my  oc- 
casional impertinences  or  the  battle  of  the  bottles.  I  really 
believe  that  his  ill  will  against  Timothy  was  one  reason  for  pur- 
clrasing  the  good  will  of  Mr.  Cophagus  ;  and  we  were  very 
gently  told  by  Mr.  Pleggit  that  he  would  have  no  occasion  for 
onr  services. 

Mr.  Cophagus  offered  to  procure  me  n  not  her  situation  us  soon 


44  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

as  he  could,  and  at  the  same  time  presented  me  with  twenty 
guineas,  as  a  proof  of  his  regard  and  appreciation  of  my  con- 
duct— but  this  sum  put  in  my  hand  decided  me  :  I  thanked 
him,  and  told  him  I  had  other  views  at  present,  but  hoped  ho 
would  let  me  know  where  I  might  find  him  hereafter,  as  I 
should  be  glad  to  see  him  again.  He  told  me  he  would  leave 
his  address  for  me  at  the  Foundling  Hospital,  and  shaking  me 
heartily  by  the  hand,  we  parted.  Timothy  was  then  summoned. 
Mr.  Cophagus  gave  him  five  guineas,  and  wished  him  good  for- 
tune. 

"  And  now,  Japhet,  what  are  you  about  to  do  ?"  said  Timo- 
thy, as  he  descended  into  the  shop. 

"  To,  do,"  replied  I ;  "  I  am  about  to  leave  you,  which  is  the 
only  thing  I  am  sorry  for.  I  am  going,  Timothy,  in  search  of 
my  father." 

"Well,"  replied  Timothy,  "I  feel  as  you  do,  Japhet,  that  it 
will  be  hard  to  part  ;  and  there  is  another  thing  on  my  mind — 
which  is,  I  am  very  sorry  that  the  bull  did  not  break  the  rudi- 
mans  (pointing  to  the  iron  mortar  and  pestle)  ;  had  he  had  but 
half  the  spite  I  have  against  it,  he  would  not  have  left  a  piece 
as  big  as  a  thimble.  I've  a  great  mind  to  have  a  smack  at  it 
before  I  go." 

"  You  will  only  injure  Mr.  Cophagus,  for  the  mortar  will  not 
then  be  paid  for." 

"  Very  true  ;  and  as  he  has  just  given  me  five  guineas,  I  will 
refrain  from  my  just  indignation.  But  now,  Japhet,  let  me 
speak  to  you.  I  don't  know  how  you  feel,  but  I  feel  as  if  I 
could  not  part  with  you.  I  do  not  want  to  go  in  search  of  my 
father  particularly.  They  say  it's  a  wise  child  that  knows  its 
own  father — but  as  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  my  other  parent 
—if  I  can  only  hit  upon  her,  I  have  a  strong  inclination  to  go 
in  search  of  my  mother,  and  if  you  like  my  company,  why  I  will 
go  with  yon — always,  my  dear  Japhet,"  continued  Tim,  "  keep- 
ing in  my  mind  the  great  difference  between  a  person  who  has 
been  fee'd  as  an  M.D.,  and  a  lad  who  only  carries  out  his  pre 
Bcriptions." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  45 

''  Do  you  really  mean  to  say,  Tim,  that  you  will  go  with 
me?" 

"  Yes,  to  the  end  of  the  world,  Japhet,  as  your  companion, 
your  friend,  and  your  servant,  if  you  require  it.  I  love  you, 
Japhet,  and  I  will  serve  you  faithfully." 

"  My  dear  Tim,  I  am  delighted  ;  now  I  am  really  happy ; 
*e  will  have  but  one  purse,  and  but  one  interest ;  if  I  find  good 
fortune,  you  shall  share  it." 

"  And  if  you  meet  with  ill  luck,  I  will  share  that  too — so 
the  affair  is  settled — and  as  here  comes  Mr.  Pleggit's  assistants 
with  only  one  pair  of  eyes  between  them,  the  sooner  we  pack 
up  the  better." 

In  half  an  hour  all  was  ready  ;  a  bundle  each  contained  our 
wardrobes.  We  descended  from  our  attic,  walked  proudly 
through  the  shop  without  making  any  observation,  or  taking 
any  notice  of  our  successors;  all  the  notice  taken  was  by  Timothy, 
who  turned  round  and  shook  his  fist  at  his  old  enemies,  the  iron 
mortar  and  pestle  ;  and  there  we  were,  standing  on  the  pave- 
ment, with  the  wide  world  before  us,  and  quite  undecided  which 
way  we  should  go. 

"  Is  it  to  be  east,  west,  north,  or  south,  Japhet  ?"  said 
Timothy. 

"  The  wise  men  came  from  the  east,"  replied  I. 

"  Then  they  must  have  travelled  west,"  said  Tim  ;  "  let  us 
show  our  wisdom  by  doing  the  same." 

"  Agreed." 

Passing  by  a  small  shop  we  purchased  two  good  sticks  as 
defenders — as  well  as  to  hang  our  bundles  on — and  off  we  set 
upon  our  pilgrimage. 


46  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

WE   TAKE  A  COACH,  BUT   THE    DRIVER  DOES  NOT  I.IKE  HIS  FARE    AND 

HITS     US    FOUL WE    CHANGE    OUR    MODE    OF    TRAVELLING,    UPON 

THE    PRINCIPLE    OF    SLOW  AND    SURE,  AND  FALL   IN  WITH    A  VERY 
LEARNED  MAN. 

I  BELIEVE  it  to  be  a  very  general  custom,  when  people  set  off 
upon  a  journey,  to  reckon  up  their  means — that  is,  to  count  the 
money  which  they  may  have  in  their  pockets.  At  all  events, 
this  was  done  by  Timothy  and  me,  and  I  found  that  my  stock 
amounted  to  twenty-two  pounds  eighteen  shillings,  and  Timothy's, 
to  the  five  guineas  presented  by  Mr.  Cophagus,  and  three  half- 
pence which  were  in  the  corner  of  his  waiscoat  pocket — sum 
total,  twenty-eight  pounds  three  shillings  and  three  halfpence  ; 
a  very  handsome  sum,  as  we  thought,  with  which  to  commence 
our  peregrinations,  and,  as  I  observed  to  Timothy,  sufficient  to 
last  us  for  a  considerable  time,  if  husbanded  with  care. 

"  Yes,"  replied  he,  "  but  we  must  husband  our  legs  also, 
Japhet,  or  we  shall  soon  be  tired,  and  very  soon  wear  out  our 
shoes.  I  vote  we  take  a  hackney  coach." 

"Take  a  hackney  coach,  Tun  !  we  mustn't  think  of  it ;  we 
cannot  afford  such  a  luxury  ;  you  can't  be  tired  yet,  we  are  now 
only  just  clear  of  Hyde  Park  Corner." 

"  Still  I  think  we  had  better  take  a  coach,  Japhet,  and  here 
is  one  coming.  I  always  do  take  one  when  I  carry  out  medi- 
cines, to  make  up  for  the  time  I  lose  looking  at  the  shops,  and 
playing  peg  in  the  ring." 

"  I  now  understood  what  Timothy  meant,  which  was,  to  get 
behind  and  have  a  ride  for  nothing.  I  consented  to  this  ar 
rangcment,  and  we  got  up  behind  one  which  was  already  well 
tilled  inside.  "  The  only  difference  between  an  inside  and  out- 
side passenger  in  a  hackney  coach  is,  that  one  pays,  and  the 
other  does  not,"  said  I,  to  Timothy,  as  we  rolled  along  at  the 
act  of  parliament  speed  of  four  miles  per  hoar. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  47 

"  That  depends  upon  circumstances  :  if  we  are  found  out,  in 
all  pronability  we  shall  not  only  have  our  ride,  but  be  paid  into 
the  bargain." 

"  With  the  coachman's  whip,  I  presume  ?" 

"  Exactly."  And  Timothy  had  hardly  time  to  get  the  word 
out  of  his  mouth,  when  flac,  flac,  came  the  whip  across  our 
eyes — a  little  envious  wretch,  with  his  shirt  hanging  out  of  his 
trowsers,  having  called  out,  Cut  behind  !  Not  wishing  to  have 
our  faces,  or  our  behinds  cut  any  more,  we  hastily  descended 
and  reached  the  footpath,  after  having  gained  about  three 
miles  on  the  road  before  we  were  discovered. 

"  That  wasn't  a  bad  lift,  Japhet,  and  as  for  the  whip,  I  never 
mind  that  with  corduroys.  And  now,  Japhet,  I'll  tell  you  some- 
thing ;  we  must  get  into  a  waggon,  if  we  can  fiud  one  going 
down  the  road,  as  soon  as  it  is  dark." 

"  But  that  will  cost  money,  Tim." 

"  It's  economy,  I  tell  you  ;  for  a  shilling,  if  you  bargain,  you 
may  ride  the  whole  night,  and  if  we  stop  at  a  public-house  to 
sleep,  we  shall  have  to  pay  for  our  beds,  as  well  as  be  obliged 
to  order  something  to  eat,  and  pay  dearer  for  it  than  if  we  buy 
what  we  want  at  cooks'  shops." 

"  There  is  sense  in  what  you  say,  Timothy  ;  we  will  look  out 
for  a  waggon." 

"  Oh  !  it's  no  use  now — waggons  are  like  black  beetles,  not 
only  in  shape  but  in  habits,  they  only  travel  by  night — at  least 
most  of  them  do.  We  are  now  coming  into  long  dirty  Brent- 
ford, and  I  don't  know  how  you  feel,  Japhet,  but  I  find  that 
walking  wonderfully  increases  the  appetite — that's  another  rea- 
son why  you  should  not  walk  when  you  can  ride — for  nothing." 

"  Well,  I'm  rather  hungry  myself ;  and  dear  me,  how  very 
good  that  piece  of  roast  pork  looks  in  that  window  !" 

"  I  agree  with  you — let's  go  in  and  make  a  bargain  !" 

We  bought  a  good  allowance  for  a  shilling,  and  after  sticking 
out  for  a  greater  proportion  of  mustard  than  the  woman  said 
VM-  \vyre  entitled  to,  and  some  salt,  we  wrapped  ?t  np  in  a  piece 
of  paper,  mid  i-ontitnifd  our  course,  till  we  arrived  at  a  baker's, 


48  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OK  A  FATHER. 

where  we  purchased  our  bread  ;  and  then  taking  up  a  position 
on  a  bench  outside  a  public-house,  called  for  a  pot  of  beer,  and 
putting  our  provisions  (!own  before  us,  made  a  hearty,  and,  what 
made  us  more  enjoy  it,  an  independent  meal.  Having  finished 
our  pork  and  our  porter,  and  refreshed  ourselves,  we  again 
started  and  walked  till  it  was  quite  dark,  when  we  felt  so  tir<.'d 
that  we  agreed  to  sit  down  on  our  bundles  and  wait  for  the  first 
waggon  which  passed.  We  soon  heard  the  jingling  of  bells, 
and  shortly  afterwards  its  enormous  towering  bulk  appeared 
between  us  and  the  sky.  We  went  up  to  the  waggoner,  who 
was  mounted  on  a  little  pony,  and  asked  him  if  he  could  give 
two  poor  lads  a  lift,  and  how  much  he  would  charge  us  for  the 
ride. 

"  How  much  can  ye  afford  to  give,  measters  !  for  there 
be  others  as  poor  as  ye."  We  replied  that  we  could  give  a 
shilling.  "  Well  then,  get  up  in  God's  name,  and  ride  as 
long  as  you  will.  Get  in  behind." 

"  Are  there  many  people  in  there  already  ?"  said  I,  as  1 
climbed  up,  and  Timothy  handed  me  the  bundles. 

"  Noa,"  replied  the  waggoner,  "  there  be  nobody  but  a 
mighty  clever  poticary  or  doctor,  I  can't  tell  which  ;  but  he 
wear  an  uncommon  queer  hat,  and  he  talk  all  sort  of  doc- 
tor stuff — and  there  be  his  odd  man  and  his  odd  boy  ;  that  be 
all,  and  there  be  plenty  of  room,  and  plenty  o'  clean  stra'." 

After  this  intimation  we  climbed  up,  and  gained  a  situation 
in  the  rear  of  the  waggon  under  the  cloth.  As  the  waggoner 
said,  there  was  plenty  of  room,  and  we  nestled  into  the  straw 
without  coming  into  contact  with  the  other  travellers.  Not 
feeling  any  inclination  to  sleep,  Timothy  and  I  entered  into  con- 
versation, sotto  voce,  and  had  continued  for  more  than  half  an 
hour,  supposing  by  their  silence,  that  the  other  occupants  o< 
the  waggon  were  asleep,  when  we  were  interrupted  by  a  voice 
clear  and  sonorous  as  a  bell. 

"  It  would  appear  that  you  are  wanderers,  young  men,  and 
journey  you  know  not  whither.  Birds  seek  their  nests  when  the 
aight  falls— beasts  hasten  to  their  lairs — man  bolts  his  door 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  49 

Propria  quce  maribus,'  as  Herodotus  hath  it ;  which,  when 
translated,  means,  that  '  such  is  the  nature  of  mankind.'  '  Tri- 
buuntur  mascula  dicas?  '  Tell  me  your  troubles,'  as  Homer 
Bays." 

I  was  very  much  surprised  at  this  address — my  knowledge  of 
the  language  told  me  immediately  that  the  quotations  were  out 
of  the  Latin  grammar,  and  that  all  his  learning  was  pretence 
still  there  was  a  novelty  of  style  which  amused  me,  and  at  the 
same  time  gave  me  an  idea  that  the  speaker  was  an  uncommon 
personage.  I  gave  Timothy  a  nudge,  and  then  replied, — 

"  You  have  guessed  right,  most  learned  sir  ;  we  are,  as  you 
say,  wanderers  seeking  our  fortunes,  and  trust  yet  to  find  them 
— still  we  have  a  weary  journey  before  us.  '  Haustus  hora  somni 
sumendum,'  as  Aristotle  hath  it ;  which  I  need  not  translate  to 
so  learned  a  person  as  yourself." 

"  Nay,  indeed  there  is  no  occasion;  yet  am  I  pleased  to  meet 
with  one  who  hath  scholarship,"  replied  the  other.  "  Have 
you  also  a  knowledge  of  the  Greek  ?" 

"  No,  I  pretend  not  to  Greek." 

"  It  is  a  pity  that  thou  hast  it  not,  for  thoo  wouldst  delight 
to  commune  with  the  ancients.  Esculapius  hath  these  words — 
'  AsAo/der — offmotton  accapon — pasti — verason/ — which  I  will 
translate  for  thee — '  We  often  find  what  we  seek  when  we  least 
expect  it.'  May  it  be  so  with  you,  my  friend.  Where  have 
you  been  educated  ?  and  what  has  been  your  profession  ?" 

I  thought  I  risked  little  in  telling,  so  I  replied,  that  I  had 
been  brought  up  as  a  surgeon  and  apothecary,  and  had  been 
educated  at  a  foundation  school. 

"'Tiswell,"  replied  he;  "you  have  then  commenced  your 
studies  in  my  glorious  profession;  still,  have  you  much  to  learn; 
years  of  toil,  under  a  great  master,  can  only  enable  you  to 
benefit  mankind  as  I  have  done,  and  years  of  hardship  and  of 
danger  must  be  added  thereunto,  to  afford  you  the  means. 
There  are  many  hidden  secrets.  '  Ut  sunt  Divorum,  Mars, 
BaccJius,  Apollo,  Virorum, — many  parts  of  the  globe  to  traverse, 
Ut  Cato,  Virgilius,  Jluvio^um,  ut  Tibris,  Orontes.1  All  these 

3 


W)  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

have  I  visited,  and  many  more.  Even  now  do  I  journey  to  ob- 
tain more  of  my  invaluable  medicine,  gathered  on  the  highest 
Andes,  when  the  moon  is  in  her  perigee.  There  I  shall  re- 
main for  months  among  the  clouds,  looking  down  upon  the 
great  plain  of  Mexico,  which  shall  appear  no  larger  than  the 
head  of  a  pin,  where  the  voice  Of  man  is  heard  not.  '  Vocito, 
vodtas,  vodtavi,'  bending  for  mouths  towards  the  earth.  'As  in 
presenti,'  suffering  with  the  cold — Africa  quod  fricui  dat,'  as 
Eusebius  hath  it.  Soon  shall  I  be  borne  away  by  the  howling 
winds  towards  the  New  World,  where  I  can  obtain  more  of  the 
wonderful  medicine,  which  I  may  say  never  yet  hath  failed  me, 
and  which  nothing  but  love  towards  my  race  induces  me  to 
gather  at  such  pains  and  risk." 

"  Indeed,  sir,"  replied  I,  amused  with  his  imposition,  "  I 
should  like  to  accompany  you — for,  as  Josephus  says  most  truly, 
'  Capiat  pilula  dua  post  prandium.'  Travel  is,  indeed,  a  most 
delightful  occupation,  and  I  would  like  to  run  over  the  whole 
world." 

"And  I  would  like  to  follow  you,"  interrupted  Timothy. 
"  I  suspect  we  have  commenced  our  grand  tour  already — three 
miles  behind  a  hackney  coach — ten  on  foot,  and  about  two,  I 
should  think,  in  this  wagon.  But  as  Cophagus  says,  '  Cochkar- 
ija  crash  many  summendushj  which  means,  '  There  are  ups  and 
downs  in  this  world.' " . 

"  Hah  1"  exclaimed  our  companion.  "  He,  also,  has  the 
rudiments." 

"  Nay,  I  hope  I've  done  with  the  Rudimans,"  replied  Tim- 
othy. 

"  Is  he  your  follower  ?"  inquired  the  man. 

"  That  very  much  depends  upon  who  walks  first,"  replied 
Timothy;  "but  whether  or  no — we  hunt  in  couples." 

"  I  understand — you  are  companions.  '  Concordat  cum 
nominative  numero  et  persona.1  Tell  me,  can  you  roll  pills,  can 
you  use  the  pestle  and  the  mortar,  handle  the  scapula,  and  mix 
ingredients  ?" 

I  replied  that  o?  course  I  knew  my  profession 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  51 

"  Well,  then,  as  we  have  still  some  hours  of  night,  let  us  now 
obtain  some  rest.  In  the  morning,  when  the  sun  hath  intro- 
duced us  to  each  other,  I  may  then  judge  from  your  counte- 
nances whether  it  is  likely  that  we  may  be  better  acquainted. 
Night  is  the  time  for  repose,  as  Quintus  Curtius  says,  '  Gustos, 
bos,  fur  atque  sacerdos.'  Sleep  was  made  for  all — my  friends, 
good  night." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

IN  WHICH  THE    ADVENTURES    IN   THE  WAGGON    ARE    CONTINUED,  AND 

WE    BECOME    MORE     PUZZLED    WITH    OUR    NEW    COMPANIONS WE 

LEAVE  OFF  TALKING  LATIN,  AND  ENTER  INTO  AN  ENGAGEMENT. 

TIMOTHY  and  I  took  his  advice,  and  were  soon  fast  asleep.  I 
was  awakened  next  morning  by  feeling  a  hand  in  my  trowsers 
pocket.  I  seized  it,  and  held  it  fast. 

"  Now  just  let  go  my  hand,  will  you  ?"  cried  a  lachrymal 
voice. 

"  I  jumped  up — it  was  broad  daylight — and  looked  at  the 
human  frame  to  which  the  hand  was  an  appendix.  It  was  a 
very  spare,  awkwardly-built  form  of  a  young  man,  apparently 
about  twenty  years  old,  but  without  the  least  sign  of  manhood 
on  his  chin.  His  face  was  cadaverous,  with  large  goggling 
eyes,  high  cheek  bones,  hair  long  and  ragged,  reminding  me  of 
a  rat's  nest,  thin  lips,  and  ears  large  almost  as  an  elephant's. 
A  more  woe-begone  wretch  in  appearance  I  never  beheld,  and 
I  continued  to  look  at  him  with  surprise.  He  repeated  his 
words  with  an  idiotical  expression,  "  Just  let  go  my  hand,  can't 
you  ?" 

"  What  business  had  your  hand  in  my  pocket  ?"  replied  I, 
angrily. 

"  I  was  feeling  for  my  pocket-handkerchief,"  replied  the 
young  man.  "  I  always  keeps  it  iu  my  breechon  pocket." 


52  JAPHKT,    IN    SEARCU    OF    A    FATHER. 

"  But  not  in  your  neighbour's,  I  presume  ?" 

"  My  neighbour's  !"  replied  he,  with  a  vacant  stare.  "  Well, 
BO  it  is,  I  see  now — I  thought  it  was  my  own." 

I  released  his  hand  ;  he  immediately  put  it  into  his  own 
pocket,  and  drew  out  his  handkerchief,  if  the  rag  deserved  the 
appellation. 

"  There,"  said  he,  "  I  told  you  I  put  it  in  that  pocket — I 
always  do." 

•'  And  pray,  who  are  you  ?"  said  I,  as  I  looked  at  his  dress, 
wnich  was  a  pair  of  loose  white  Turkish  trowsers,  and  an  old 
spangled  jacket. 

"  Me  !  why,  I'm  the  fool." 

"  More  knave  than  fool,  I  expect,"  replied  I,  still  much  puz- 
zled with  his  strange  appearance  and  dress. 

"Nay,  there  you  mistake,"  said  the  voice  of  last  night. 
*'  He  is  not  only  a  fool  by  profession,  but  one  by  nature.  It  Is 
a  half-witted  creature,  who  serves  me  when  I  would  attract  the 
people.  Strange,  in  this  world,  that  wisdom  may  cry  in  the 
streets  without  being  noticed,  yet  folly  will  always  command  a 
crowd." 

During  this  address,  I  turned  my  eyes  upon  the  speaker. 
He  was  an  elderly-looking  person,  with  white  hair,  dressed  in  a 
suit  of  black,  ruffles  and  frill.  His  eyes  were  brilliant,  but  the 
remainder  of  his  face  it  was  difficult  to  decipher,  as  it  was  evi- 
dently painted,  and  the  night's  jumbling  in  the  waggon  had  so 
smeared  it,  that  it  appeared  of  almost  every  colour  in  the  rain- 
bow. On  one  side  of  him  lay  a  large  three-cornered  cocked 
hat,  on  the  other,  a  little  lump  of  a  boy,  rolled  up  in  the  straw 
like  a  marmot,  and  still  sound  asleep.  Timothy  looked  at  me, 
and  when  he  caught  my  eye,  burst  out  into  a  laugh. 

"  You  laugh  at  my  appearance,  I  presume,"  said  the  old  man, 
mildly. 

"  I  do  in  truth,"  replied  Timothy.  "  I  never  saw  one  like 
you  before,  and  I  dare  say  never  shall  again." 

"  That  is  possible  ;  yet  probaoly  if  you  meet  me  again  yon 
vt  ould  not  know  me." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  53 

"Among  a  hundred  thousand,"  replied  Timothy,  with 
increased  mirth. 

"  We  shall  see,  perhaps,"  replied  the  quack  doctor,  for  such 
the  reader  must  have  already  ascertained  to  be  his  profession  ; 
"  but  the  waggon  has  stopped,  and  the  driver  will  bait  his 
horses.  If  inclined  to  eat,  now  is  your  tune.  Come,  Jumbo, 
get  up  ;  Philotas,  waken  him,  and  follow  me." 

Philotas,  for  so  was  the  fool  styled  by  his  master,  twisted  op 
some  straw,  and  stuffed  the  end  of  it  into  Jumbo's  mouth. 
"Now  Jumbo  will  think  he  has  got  something  to  eat.  I 
always  wake  him  that  way,"  observed  the  fool,  grinning 
at  us. 

It  certainly,  as  might  be  expected,  did  waken  Jumbo,  who 
uncoiled  himself,  rubbed  his  eyes,  stared  at  the  tilt  of  the  wag- 
gon, then  at  us,  and  without  saying  a  word,  rolled  himself  out 
after  the  fool.  Timothy  and  I  followed.  We  found  the  doctor 
bargaining  for  some  bread  and  bacon,  his  strange  appearance 
exciting  much  amusement,  aud  inducing  the  people  to  let  him 
have  a  better  bargain  than  perhaps  otherwise  they  would  have 
done.  He  gave  a  part  of  the  refreshment  to  the  boy  and  the 
fool,  and  walked  out  of  the  taproom  with  his  own  share. 
Timothy  and  I  went  to  the  pump,  and  had  a  good  refreshing 
wash,  and  then  for  a  shilling  were  permitted  to  make  a  very 
hearty  breakfast.  The  waggon  having  remained  about  an 
hour,  the  driver  gave  us  notice  of  his  departure  ;  but  the 
doctor  was  nowhere  to  be  found.  After  a  little  delay,  the 
waggoner  drove  off,  cursing  him  for  a  bilk,  and  vowing  that  he'd 
never  have  any  more  to  do  with  a  "  larned  man."  In  the  mean 
time,  Timothy  aud  I  had  taken  our  seats  in  the  waggon,  in 
company  with  the  fool  and  Master  Jumbo.  We  commenced  a 
conversation  with  the  former,  and  soon  found  out,  as  the  doctor 
had  asserted,  that  he  really  was  an  idiot,  so  much  so  that  it 
wan  painful  to  converse  with  him.  As  for  the  latter,  he  had 
coiled  himself  away  to  take  a  little  more  sleep.  I  forgot  to 
mention  that  the  boy  was  dressed  much  iu  the  same  way  as  the 
fool,  iu  au  old  spangled  jacket,  aud  dirty  white  trowscrs.  For 


64  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

about  an  hour  Timothy  and  I  conversed,  remarking  upon  the 
strange  disappearance  of  the  doctor,  especially  as  he  had  given 
us  hopes  of  employing  us  ;  in  accepting  which  offer,  if  ever  it 
should  be  made,  we  had  not  made  up  our  minds,  when  we  were 
interrupted  with  a  voice  crying  out,  "  Hillo,  my  man,  can  yea 
give  a  chap  3,  lift  as  far  as  Reading  for  a  shilling  ?" 

"  Ay,  get  up,  and  welcome,"  replied  the  waggoner. 

The  waggon  did  not  stop,  but  in  a  moment  or  two  the  new 
Dassenger  climbed  in.  He  was  dressed  in  a  clean  smock  frock, 
neatly  worked  up  the  front,  leather  gaiters,  and  stout  shoes  ;  a 
bundle  and  a  stick  were  in  his  hand.  He  smiled  as  he  looked 
round  upon  the  company,  and  showed  a  beautiful  set  of  teeth. 
His  face  was  dark,  and  sun-burnt,  but  very  handsome,  and  his 
eyes  as  black  as  coals,  and  as  brilliant  as  gas.  "  Heh  !  player 
folk — Pve  a  notion,"  said  he,  as  he  sat  down,  looking  at  the 
doctor's  attendants,  and  laughing  at  us.  "  Have  you  come  far, 
gentlemen  ?"  continued  he. 

"  From  London,"  was  my  reply. 

"  How  do  the  crops  look  up  above,  for  down  here  the  turnips 
seem  to  have  failed  altogether  ?  Dry  seasons  won't  do  for  tur 
nips." 

I  replied  that  I  really  could  not  satisfy  him  on  that  point,  as 
it  was  dark  when  we  passed. 

"  Very  true — I  had  forgotten  that,"  replied  he.  "  However, 
the  barleys  look  well ;  but  perhaps  you  don't  understand  fann- 
ing?" 

I  replied  in  the  negative,  and  the  conversation  was  kept  up 
for  two  or  three  hours,  in  the  course  of  which  I  mentioned  the 
quack  doctor,  and  his  strange  departure. 

"  That  is  the  fellow  who  cured  so  many  people  at ," 

replied  he  ;  and  the  conversation  then  turned  upon  his  profes- 
sion and  mode  of  life,  which  Timothy  and  I  agreed  must  be 
very  amusing.  "  We  shall  meet  him  again,  I  dare  say,"  replied 
the  man.  "  Would  you  know  him  T' 

"  I  think  so,  indeed,"  replied  Timothy,  laughing. 

"  Yes,  and  so  you  would  think  that  you  would  know  a  guinea 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  5ft 

from  a  halfpenny,  if  I  put  it  into  your  hands,"  replied  the  man 
"  I  do  not  wish  to  lay  a  bet,  and  win  your  money  ;  but  I  tell 
you,  that  I  will  put  either  the  one  or  the  other  into  each  of 
your  hands,  and  if  you  hold  it  fast  for  one  minute,  and  shut 
your  eyes  during  that  time,  you  will  not  be  able  to  tell  me 
which  it  is  that  you  have  in  it." 

"  That  I  am  sure  I  would,"  replied  Tim  ;  and  I  made  the 
same  assertion. 

"  Well,  I  was  taken  in  that  way  at  a  fair,  and  lost  ten  shil- 
lings by  the  wager;  now,  we'll  try  whether  you  can  tell  or  not." 
He  took  out  some  money  from  his  pocket,  which  he  selected 
without  our  seeing  it,  put  a  coin  into  the  hand  of  each  of  us, 
closing  our  fists  over  it,  "  and  now,"  said  he,  "  keep  yeur  eyes 
shut  for  a  minute." 

We  did  so,  and  a  second  or  two  afterwards  we  heard  a  voice 
which  we  instantly  recognised.  "  Nay,  but  it  was  wrong  to 
leave  me  on  the  way-side  thus,  having  agreed  to  pay  the  sum 
demanded.  At  my  age  one  walketh  not  without  fatigue,  ' Exd- 
penda  tamen  quadam  sunt  urbium,'  as  Philostratus  says,  mean- 
ing, '  That  old  limbs  lose  their  activity,  and  seek  the  help  of  a 
crutch.'" 

"There's  the  doctor,"  cried  Timothy,  with  his  eyes  still 
shut. 

"  Now  open  your  eyes,"  said  the  man,  "  and  tell  me,  before 
you  open  your  hand,  what  there  is  in  it." 

"  A  halfpenny  in  mine,"  said  Tim. 

"  A  guinea  in  mine,"  replied  I. 

We  opened  our  hands,  and  they  were  empty. 

"  Where  the  devil  is  it  ?"  exclaimed  I,  looking  at  Tun. 

"And  where  the  devil's  tne  doctor?"  replied  he,  looking 
xmnd. 

"The  money  is  in  the  doctor's  pocket,"  replied  the  man, 
Broiling. 

"  Then  wheie  is  the  doctor's  pocket  ?" 

"  Here,"  replied  he,  slapping  his  pocket,  and  looking  signifi- 
cantly at  us.  "  I  thought  you  were  certain  of  knowing  him 


56  JAPHEF,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

agaiu.  About  as  certain  as  you  were  of  telling  the  money  in 
your  band." 

He  then,  to  our  astonishment,  imitated  the  doctor's  voice, 
and  quoted  prosody,  syntax,  and  Latin.  Timothy  and  I  were 
still  in  astonishment,  when  he  continued,  "  If  I  had  not  found 
out  that  you  were  in  want  of  employ,  and  further,  that  your 
services  would  be  useful  to  me,  I  should  not  have  made  this  dis- 
covery. Do  you  now  think  that  you  know  enough  to  enter  into 
my  service  ?  It  is  light  work,  and  not  bad  pay  ;  and  now  you 
may  choose." 

"  I  trust,"  said  I,  "  that  there  is  no  dishonesty  ?" 

"  None  that  you  need  practise,  if  you  are  so  scrupulous  :  per- 
naps  your  scruples  may  some  day  be  removed.  I  make  the 
most  of  my  wares — every  merchant  does  the  same.  I  practise 
upon  the  folly  of  mankind — it  is  on  that,  that  wise  men  live." 

Timothy  gave  me  a  push,  and  nodded  his  head  for  me  to  give 
my  consent.  I  reflected  a  few  seconds,  and  at  last  I  extended 
my  hand.  "  I  consent,"  replied  I,  "  with  the  reservation  I  have 
made." 

"  You  will  not  repent,"  said  he  ;  "  and  I  will  take  your  com- 
panion, not  that  I  want  him  particularly,  but  I  do  want  you. 
The  fact  is,  I  want  a  lad  of  gentlemanly  address,  and  handsome 
appearance — with  the  very  knowledge  you  possess — and  now  we 
will  say  no  more  for  the  present.  By-the-by  was  that  real  La- 
tin of  yours  ?" 

"  No,"  replied  I,  laughing  ;  "  you  quoted  the  grammar,  and 
I  replied  with  medical  prescriptions  One  was  as  good  as  the 
other." 

"  Quite — nay,  better  ;  for  the  school-boys  may  find  me  out, 
but  not  you.  But  now  observe,  when  we  come  to  the  next  cross 
road,  we  must  get  down — at  least,  I  expect  so  ;  but  we  shall 
know  in  a  minute." 

In  about  the  time  he  mentioned,  a  dark,  gipsy-looking  man 
looked  into  the  waggon,  and  spoke  to  our  acquaintance  in  an 
unknown  language.  He  replied  in  the  same,  and  the  man  dis- 
appeared. We  continued  our  route  for  about  a  quarter  of  an 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER  57 

hour,  when  be  got  out,  asked  us  to  follow  him,  and  speaking  a 
few  words  to  the  fool,  which  I  did  not  hear,  left  him  and  the 
boy  in  the  waggon.  We  paid  our  fare,  took  possession  of  our 
bundles,  and  followed  our  new  companion  for  a  few  minutes  on 
the  cross  road,  when  he  stopped,  and  said,  "  I  must  now  leave 
you,  to  prepare  for  your  reception  into  our  fraternity  ;  continue 
straight  on  this  road  until  you  arrive  at  a  lime-kiln,  and  wait 
there  till  I  come." 

He  sprang  over  a  stile,  and  took  a  direction  verging  at  an 
angle  from  the  road,  forced  his  way  through  a  hedge,  and  dis- 
appeared from  our  sight.  "  Upon  my  word,  Timothy,"  said  I, 
"  I  hardly  know  what  to  say  to  this.  Have  we  done  right  in 
trusting  to  this  man,  who,  I  am  afraid,  is  a  great  rogue  ?  I  do 
not  much  like  mixing  with  these  gipsy  people,  for  such  I  am 
sure  he  belongs  to." 

"  I  really  do  not  see  how  we  can  do  better,"  replied  Timothy. 
"  The  world  is  all  before  us,  and  we  must  force  our  own  way 
through  it.  As  for  his  being  a  quack  doctor,  I  see  no  great  harm 
in  that.  People  put  their  faith  in  nostrums  more  than  they  do 
in  regular  medicines  ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  quack  medi- 
cines, as  they  call  them,  cure  as  often  as  others,  merely  for  that 
very  reason." 

"  Very  true,  Timothy  ;  the  mind  once  at  ease,  the  body  soon 
recovers,  and  faith,  even  in  quack  medicines,  will  often  make 
people  whole  ;  but  do  you  think  that  he  does  no  more  than  im- 
pose upon  people  in  that  way  ?" 

"  He  may,  or  he  may  not ;  at  all  events,  we  need  do  no 
more,  I  suppose." 

"  I  am  not  sure  of  that  ;  however,  we  shall  see.  He  says  we 
may  be  useful  to  him,  and  I  suppose  we  shall  be,  or  he  would 
not  have  engaged  us — we  shall  soon  find  oat." 


58  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER 


CHAPTER  X. 

4 

IN  WHICH  THE  READER  IS  INTRODUCED  TO  SEVERAL  NEW  ACQUAINT 
ANCES,  AND  ALL  CONNECTED  WITH  THEM,  EXCEPT  BIRTH  AND 
PARENTAGE,  WHICH  APPEARS  TO  BE  THE  ONE  THING  WANTING 
THROUGHOUT  THE  WHOLE  OF  THIS  WORK. 

BY  this  time  we  had  arrived  at  the  lime-kiln  to  which  we  had 
been  directed,  and  we  sat  down  on  our  bundles,  chatting  for 
about  five  minutes,  when  our  new  acquaintance  made  his  ap- 
pearance, with  something  in  his  hand,  tied  up  in  a  handker- 
chief. 

"  You  may  as  well  put  your  coats  into  your  bundles,  and  put 
on  these  frocks,"  said  he  ;  you  will  appear  better  among  us,  and 
will  be  better  received,  for  there  is  a  gathering  now,  and  some 
of  them  are  queer  customers.  However,  you  have  nothing  to 
fear  ;  when  once  you  are  with  my  wife  and  me,  you  are  quite 
safe  ;  her  little  finger  would  protect  you  from  five  hundred." 

"  Your  wife  1  who,  then,  is  she  !"  inquired  I,  as  I  put  my 
head  through  the  smock  frock. 

"  She  is  a  great  personage  among  the  gipsies.  She  is,  by 
descent,  one  of  the  heads  of  the  tribe,  and  none  dare  to  disobey 
her." 

"  And  you — are  ycm  a  gipsy  ?" 

"  No,  and  yes.  By  birth  I  am  not,  but  by  choice,  and  mar- 
riage, I  am  admitted  ;  but  I  was  not  born  under  a  hedge,  I  can 
assure  you,  although  I  very  often  pass  a  night  there  now — that 
is,  when  I  am  domestic  ;  but  do  not  think  that  you  are  to  re- 
main long  here  ;  we  shall  leave  in  a  few  days,  and  may  not  meet 
the  tribe  again  for  months,  although  you  may  see  my  own  family 
occasionally.  I  did  not  ask  you  to  join  me  to  pass  a  gipsy's 
life — no,  no,  we  must  be  stirring  and  active.  Come,  we  are  now 
close  to  them.  Do  not  speak  as  you  pass  the  huts,  until  you 
have  entered  mine.  Then  you  may  do  as  you  please." 

We  turned  short  round,  passed  through  a  gap  in  the  hedge 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  59 

and  found  ourselves  on  a  small  retired  piece  of  common,  which 
was  studded  with  about  twenty  or  thirty  low  gipsy  huts.  The 
fires  were  alight  and  provisions  apparently  cooking.  We  passed 
by  nine  or  ten,  and  obeyed  our  guide's  injunctions  to  Keep  silence 
At  last  we  stopped,  and  perceived  ourselves  to  be  standing  by 
the  fool,  who  was  dressed  like  us,  in  a  smock  frock,  and  Mr 
Jumbo,  who  was  very  busy  making  the  pot  boil,  blowing  at  the 
sticks  underneath  till  he  was  black  in  the  face.  Several  of  the 
men  passed  near  us,  and  examined  us  with  no  very  pleasant  ex 
pression  of  countenance  ;  and  we  were  not  sorry  to  see  our  con- 
ductor, who  had  gone  into  the  hut,  return,  followed  by  a  woman, 
to  whom  he  was  speaking  in  the  language  of  the  tribe.  "  Nat- 
tde  bids  you  welcome,"  said  he,  as  she  approached. 

Never  in  my  life  will  the  remembrance  of  the  first  appear- 
ance of  Nattee,  and  the  effect  it  had  upon  me,  be  erased  from 
my  memory.  She  was  tall,  too  tall,  had  it  not  been  for  the  per- 
fect symmetry  of  her  form.  Her  face  of  a  clear  olive,  and  oval 
in  shape  ;  her  eyes  jetty  black  ;  nose  straight,  and  beautifully 
formed  ;  mouth  small,  thin  lips,-with  a  slight  curl  of  disdain, 
and  pearly  teeth.  I  never  beheld  a  woman  of  so  commanding 
a  presence.  Her  feet  were  bare,  but  very  small,  as  well  as  her 
hands.  On  her  fingers  she  wore  many  rings,  of  a  curious  old 
setting,  and  a  piece  of  gold  hung  on  her  forehead,  where  the  hair 
was  parted.  She  looked  at  us,  touched  her  high  forehead  with 
the  ends  of  her  fingers,  and  waving  her  hand  gracefully,  said,  in 
a  soft  voice,  "  You  are  welcome,"  and  then  turned  to  her  hus- 
band, speaking  to  him  in  her  own  language,  until  by  degrees 
they  separated  from  us  in  earnest  conversation. 

She  returned  to  us  after  a  short  time,  without  her  husband, 
and  said,  in  a  voice,  the  notes  of  which  were  indeed  soft,  but  the 
delivery  of  the  words  was  most  determined  ;  "  I  have  said  thnt 
*oa  are  welcome  ;  sit  down,  therefore,  and  share  with  us — fea. 
nothing,  you  have  no  cause  to  fear.  Be  faithful,  then,  while 
yon  serve  him  ;  and  when  you  would  quit  us,  say  so,  and  receive 
your  leave  to  depart ;  but  if  you  attempt  to  desert  us  without 
permission,  then  we  shall  suspect  thai  you  are  our  enemies,  and 


60  JAPHET,  IX  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

treat  you  accordingly.  There  is  your  lodging  while  here,"  con 
tinued  she,  pointing  to  another  hut.  "  There  is  but  one  child 
with  you,  his  boy  (pointing  to  Jumbo),  who  cau  lie  at  your  feet 
And  now  join  us  as  friends.  Fleta,  where  are  you  ?" 

A  soft  voice  answered  from  the  teut  of  Natte'e,  and  soon 
afterwards  came  out  a  little  girl,  of  about  eleven  years  old. 
The  appearance  of  this  child  was  a  new  source  of  interest.  She 
was  a  little  fairy  figure,  with  a  skin  as  white  as  the  driven 
snow — light  auburn  hair,  and  large  blue  eyes  ;  her  dress  was 
scanty,  aud  showed  a  large  portion  of  her  taper  legs.  She 
hasteued  to  Nattee,  and  folding  her  arms  across  her  breast, 
stood  still,  saying  meekly,  "  I  am  here." 

'Know  these  as  friends,  Fleta.  Send  that  lazy  Num  (this 
was  Philotas,  the  fool)  for  more  wood,  and  see  that  Jumbo 
tends  the  fire." 

Nattee  smiled,  and  left  us.  I  observed  she  went  to  where 
forty  or  fifty  of  the  tribe  were  assembled,  in  earnest  discourse. 
She  took  her  seat  with  them,  and  marked  deference  was  paid 
to  her.  In  the  mean  time  Jumbo  had  blown  up  a  brisk  fire  ; 
we  were  employed  by  Fleta  in  shredding  vegetables,  which  she 
threw  into  the  boiling  kettle.  Num  appeared  with  more  fuel, 
and  at  last  there  was  nothing  more  to  do.  Fleta  sat  down  by 
us,  and  parting  her  long  hair,  which  had  fallen  over  her  eyes, 
looked  us  both  in  the  face. 

"  Who  gave  you  that  name,  Fleta  ?"  inquired  I. 

"  They  gave  it  me,"  replied  she. 

"And  who  are  they  ?" 

"  Natte'e,  and  Melchior,  her  husband." 

"  But  you  are  not  their  daughter  ?" 

"  No,  I  am  not — that  is,  I  believe  not." 

fhe  little  girl  stopped  short,  as  if  assured  that  she  had  said 
too  much,  cast  her  eyes  down  on  the  ground,  and  folded  her 
arms,  so  that  her  hands  rested  on  each  opposite  shoulder. 

Timothy  whispered  to  me,  "She  must  have  been  stolen, 
depend  upon  it." 

"  Silence,"  said  1 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  61 

The  little  girl  overheard  him,  and  looking  at  him,  put  hei 
finger  across  her  mouth,  looking  to  where  Num  and  Jumbo 
were  sitting.  I  felt  an  interest  for  this  child  before  I  had  been 
an  hour  in  her  company  ;  she  was  so  graceful,  so  feminine,  so 
mournful  in  the  expression  of  her  countenance.  That  she  was 
under  restraint  was  evident ;  but  still  she  did  not  appear  to  be 
actuated  by  fear.  Nattde  was  very  kind  to  her,  and  the  child 
did  not  seem  to  be  more  reserved  towards  her  than  to  others  ; 
her  mournful,  pensive  look,  was  perhaps  inherent  to  her  nature. 
It  was  not  until  long  after  our  first  acquaintance  that  I  ever 
saw  a  smile  upon  her  features.  Shortly  after  this  little  con- 
versation, Nattee  returned,  walking  with  all  the  grace  and  dig 
nity  of  a  queen.  Her  husband,  or  Melchior,  as  I  shall  in  futare 
call  him,  soon  joined  us,  and  we  sat  down  to  our  repast,  which 
was  excellent.  It  was  composed  of  almost  every  thing  ;  some- 
times I  found  myself  busy  with  the  whig  of  a  fowl,  at  another, 
the  leg  of  a  rabbit —  then  a  piece  of  mutton,  or  other  flesh  and 
fowl,  which  I  could  hardly  distinguish.  To  these  were  added 
every  sort  of  vegetable,  among  which  potatoes  predominated, 
forming  a  sort  of  stew,  which  an  epicure  might  have  praised.  I 
had  a  long  conversation  with  Melchior  in  the  evening  ;  and 
not  to  weary  the  reader,  I  shall  now  proceed  to  state  all  that  I 
then  and  subsequently  gathered  from  him  and  others,  relative 
to  the  parties  with  whom  we  were  associating. 

Melchior  would  not  state  who  and  what  he  was  previous  to 
his  having  joined  the  fraternity  of  gipsies  ;  that  he  was  not  of 
humble  birth,  and  that  he  had,  when  young,  quitted  his 
friends  out  of  love  for  Nattee,  or  from  some  other  causes  not 
to  be  revealed,  he  led  me  to  surmise.  He  had  been  many 
years  in  company  with  the  tribe,  and  although,  as  one  received 
into  it,  he  did  not  stand  so  high  in  rank  and  estimation  as  his 
wife,  still,  from  his  marriage  with  Nattee,  and  his  own  peculiar 
qualifications  and  dexterity,  he  was  almost  as  absolute  as  she 
was. 

Melchior  and  Nattde  were  supposed  to  be  the  most  wealthy 
of  all  the  gipsies,  and,  at  the  same  time,  they  were  the  most 


52  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

liberal  of  their  wealth.  Melchior,  it  appeared,  gained  inonej 
iu  three  diffe-ent  characters  ;  as  a  quack  doctor,  the  char 
acter  in  which  we  first  saw  him  ;  secondly,  as  a  juggler,  ir 
which  art  he  was  most  expert ;  and,  thirdly,  as  a  fortune-teller, 
and  wise  man. 

Natte'e,  as  I  before  mentioned,  was  of  very  high  rank,  or 
caste,  in  her  tribe.  At  her  first  espousal  of  Melchior  she  lost 
much  of  her  influence,  as  it  was  considered  a  degradation  ;  but 
she  was  then  very  young,  and  must  have  been  most  beautiful 
The  talents  of  Melchior,  and  her  own  spirit,  however,  soon 
enabled  her  to  regain,  and  even  add  still  more  to,  her  power 
and  consideration  among  the  tribe  ;  and  it  was  incredible  to 
what  extent,  with  the  means  which  she  possessed,  this  power 
was  augmented. 

Melchior  had  no  children  by  his  marriage,  and,  as  far  as  I  could 
judge  from  the  few  words  which  would  escape  from  the  lips  of 
Natte'e,  she  did  not  wish  for  any,  as  the  race  would  not  be 
considered  pure.  The  subdivision  of  the  tribe  which  followed 
Nattee  consisted  of  about  forty,  men,  women,  and  children 
These  were  ruled  by  her  during  the  absence  of  her  husband, 
who  alternately  assumed  different  characters,  as  suited  his  pur- 
pose ;  but  in  whatever  town  Melchior  might  happen  to  be, 
Nattee  and  her  tribe  were  never  far  off,  and  always  encamped 
within  communication. 

I  ventured  to  question  Melchior  about  the  little  Fleta  ;  and 
he  stated  that  she  was  the  child  of  a  soldier's  wife,  who  had 
been  brought  to  bed,  and  died  a  few  hours  afterwards  ;  that, 
at  the  tune,  she  was  on  her  way  to  join  her  husband,  and 
had  been  taken  ill  on  the  road — had  been  assisted  by  Natte'e 
and  her  companions,  as  far  as  they  were  able — had  been 
buried  by  them,  and  that  the  child  had  been  reared  in  the 
•amp. 

In  time,  the  little  girl  became  very  intimate,  and  very  partial 
'»o  me.  I  questioned  her  as  to  her  birth,  telling  her  what 
Melchior  had  stated  :  for  a  long  while  she  would  not  answer  ; 
the  poor  child  had  learned  caution  even  at  that  early  age  ;  but 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  63 

after  we  were  more  intimate,  she  said,  that  which  Melchior 
had  stated  was  not  true.  She  could  recollect  very  well  living 
in  a  great  honse,  with  every  thing  very  fine  about  her  ;  but 
still  it  appeared  as  if  it  were  a  dream.  She  recollected  two 
white  ponies — and  a  lady  who  was  her  mamma — and  a 
mulberry-tree,  where  she  stained  her  frock  ;  sometimes  other 
things  came  to  her  memory,  and  then  she  forgot  them  again. 
From  this  it  was  evident  that  she  had  been  stolen,  and  was 
probably  of  good  parentage  ;  certainly,  if  elegance  and  sym- 
metry of  person  and  form  could  prove  blood,  it  never  was  more 
marked  than  in  this  interesting  child.  Her  abode  with  the 
gipsies,  and  their  peculiar  mode  of  life  and  manners,  had 
rendered  her  astonishingly  precocious  in  intellect ;  but  of 
education  she  had  none,  except  what  was  instilled  into  her  by 
Melchior,  whom  she  always  accompanied  when  he  assumed  his 
character  as  a  juggler.  She  then  danced  on  the  slack  wire,  at 
the  same  time  performing  several  feats  in  balancing,  throwing 
of  oranges,  &c.  When  Melchior  was  under  other  disguises,  she 
remained  in  the  camp  with  Nattee. 

Of  Num,  or  Philotas,  as  Melchior  thought  proper  to  call 
him,  I  have  already  spoken.  He  was  a  half-witted  idiot, 
picked  up  in  one  of  Melchipr's  excursions  ;  and  as  he  stated  to 
me,  so  did  it  prove  to  be  the  fact,  that  when  on  the  stage,  and 
questioned  as  a  fool,  his  natural  folly,  and  idiotical  vacancy  of 
countenance,  were  applauded  by  the  spectators  as  admirably 
assumed.  Even  at  the  alehouses  and  taverns  where  we  stopped, 
every  one  imagined  that  all  his  folly  was  pretence,  and  looked 
upon  him  as  a  very  clever  fellow.  There  never  was,  perhaps, 
such  a  lachrymose  countenance  as  this  poor  lad's  ;  and  this 
added  still  more  to  the  mirth  of  others,  being  also  considered 
as  put  on  for  the  occasion.  Stephen  Kemble  played  Falstafl 
without  stuffing — Num  played  the  fool  without  any  effort  or 
preparation.  Jumbo  was  also  "  picked  up  ;"  this  was  not  done 
by  Melchior,  who  stated,  that  any  body  might  have  him  who* 
claimed  him  ;  he  tumbled  with  the  fool  upon  the  stage,  and  he 
olso  ate  pudding  to  amuse  the  spectators — the  only  part  of  the 


64  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

performance  which  was  suited  to  Jumbo's  taste,  for  he  was  a 
terrible  little  glutton,  and  never  lost  any  opportunity  of  eating, 
as  well  as  of  sleeping. 

And  now  having  described  all  our  new  companions,  I  must 
nan-ate  what  passed  between  Melchior  and  me,  the  day  after 
our  joining  the  camp.  He  first  ran  through  his  various  pro- 
fessions, pointing  out  to  me  that  as  juggler  he  required  a  con- 
federate, in  which  capacity  I  might  be  very  useful,  as  he  would 
soon  instruct  me  in  all  his  tricks.  As  a  quack  doctor  he  wanted 
the  services  of  both  Tim  and  myself  in  mixing  up,  waking  pills, 
&c.,  and  also  in  assisting  him  in  persuading  the  public  of  his 
great  skill.  As  a  fortune-teller,  I  should  also  be  of  great  ser- 
vice, as  he  would  explain  to  me  hereafter.  In  short,  he  wanted 
a  person  of  good  personal  appearance  and  education,  in  whom 
he  might  confide  in  every  way.  As  to  Tim,  he  might  be  made 
useful,  if  he  chose,  in  various  ways  ;  amongst  others,  he  wished 
him  to  learn  tumbling  and  playing  the  fool,  when,  at  times,  the 
fool  was  required  to  give  a  shrewd  answer  on  any  point  on 
which  he  would  wish  the  public  to  be  made  acquainted.  I 
agreed  to  my  own  part  of  the  performance,  and  then  had  some 
conversation  with  Timothy,  who  immediately  consented  to  do 
his  best  in  what  was  allotted  as  his  share.  Thus  was  the  mat- 
ter quickly  arranged,  Melchior  observing,  that  he  had  paid 
nothing  about  remuneration,  as  I  should  find  that  trusting  to 
him  was  far  preferable  to  stipulated  wages. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  65 


CHAPTER  XI. 

WHATEVER    MAY    BE    THE     OPINION    OF    THE     READER,     HE     CANNOI 

ASSERT   THAT    WE  ARE    NO    CONJURERS WE  SUIT    OUR   WARES   TC 

OUR   CUSTOMERS,    AND   OUR  PROFITS    ARE    CONSIDERABLE. 

WE  had  been  three  days  in  the  camp  when  the  gathering  was 
broken  up,  each  gang  taking  their  own  way.  What  the  meeting 
was  about  I  could  not  exactly  discover.:  one  occasion  of  it  was 
to  make  arrangements  relative  to  the  different  counties  in  which 
the  subdivisions  were  to  sojourn  during  the  next  year,  so  that 
they  might  know  where  to  communicate  with  each  other,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  not  interfere  by  being  too  near  ;  but  there 
were  many  other  points  discussed,  of  which,  as  a  stranger,  I 
was  kept  in  ignorance.  Melchior  answered  all  my  questions 
with  apparent  candour,  but  his  habitual  deceit  was  such,  that 
whether  he  told  the  truth  or  not  was  impossible  to  be  ascer 
tained  by  his  countenance. 

When  the  gathering  dispersed  we  packed  up,  and  located 
ourselves  about  two  miles  from  the  common,  on  the  borders  of  a 
forest  of  oak  and  ash.  Our  food  was  chiefly  game,  for  we  had 
some  excellent  poachers  among  us  ;  and  as  for  fish,  it  appeared 
to  be  at  their  command  ;  there  was  not  a  pond  or  a  pit  but  they 
could  tell  in  a  moment  if  it  were  tenanted,  and  if  tenanted,  in 
half  an  hour  every  fish  would  be  floating  on  the  top  of  the  water, 
by  the  throwing  in  of  some  intoxicating  sort  of  berry  ;  other 
articles  of  food  occasionally  were  found  in  the  caldron  ;  indeed, 
it  was  impossible  to  fare  better  than  we  did,  or  at  less 
expense. 

Our  tents  were  generally  pitched  not  far  from  a  pool  of 
water,  and  to  avoid  any  unpleasant  search,  which  sometimes 
would  take  place,  every  thing  liable  to  detection  was  sunk 
ouder  the  water  until  it  was  required  for  cooking  ;  once  in  the 
pot,  it  was  considered  as  safe.  But  with  the  foraging,  Timothy 


66  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

and  1  had  nothing  to  do  ;  we  participated  in  the  eating,  with- 
out asking  any  questions  as  to  how  it  was  procured. 

My  time  was  chiefly  spent  in  company  with  Melchior,  whc 
initiated  me  into  all  the  mysteries  of  cups  and  balls — juggling 
of  every  description — feats  with  cards,  and  made  me  acquainted 
with  all  his  apparatus  for  prepared  tricks.  For  hours  and 
hours  was  I  employed  by  his  directions  in  what  is  called  "  mak- 
ing the  pass  "  with  a  pack  of  cards,  as  almost  all  tricks  on  cards 
depend  upon  your  dexterity  in  this  manoeuvre.  In  about  a 
month  I  was  considered  as  a  very  fair  adept ;  in  the  mean  time, 
Timothy  had  to  undergo  his  career  of  gymnastics,  and  was  to 
be  seen  all  day  tumbling  and  re-tumbling,  until  he  could  tumble 
on  his  feet  again.  Light  and  active,  he  soon  became  a  very 
dexterous  performer,  and  could  throw  a  somerset  either  back- 
wards or  forwards,  walk  on  his  hands,  eat  fire,  pull  out  ribands, 
and  do  fifty  other  tricks  to  amuse  a  gaping  audience.  Jumbo 
also  was  worked  hard,  to  bring  down  his  fat,  and  never  was 
allowed  his  dinner  until  he  had  given  satisfaction  to  Melchior. 
Even  little  Fleta  had  to  practise  occasionally,  as  we  were  pre- 
paring for  an  expedition.  Melchior,  who  appeared  determined 
to  create  an  effect,  left  us  for  three  days,  and  returned  with 
not  only  dresses  for  Timothy  and  me,  but  also  new  dresses  for 
the  rest  of  the  company  ;  and  shortly  afterwards,  bidding  fare 
well  to  Nattde  and  the  rest  of  the  gipsies,  we  all  set  out — that 
is,  Melchior,  I,  Timothy,  Fleta,  Kum,  and  Jumbo.  Late  in 

the  evening  we  arrived  at  the  little  town  of ,  and  took  up 

our  quarters  at  a  public  house,  with  the  landlord  of  which 
Melchior  had  already  made  arrangements. 

"  Well,  Timothy,"  said  I,  as  soon  as  we  were  in  bed,  "  how 
do  you  like  our  new  life  and  prospects  ?" 

"  I  like  it  better  than  Mr.  Cophagus's  rudimans,  and  carry- 
ing out  physic,  at  all  events.  But  how  does  your  dignity  like 
turning  Merry  Andrew,  Japhet  ?" 

"  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  do  not  dislike  it.  There  is  a  wild- 
ness  and  a  devil-may-care  feeling  connected  with  it  which  ia 
5rat?ful  to  me  at  present.  How  long  it  may  last  1  cannot  tell; 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A   FATHER.  67 

but  for  a  year  or  two  it  appears  to  me  that  we  may  be  very 
happy.  At  all  events,  we  shall  see  the  world,  and  have  more 
than  one  profession  to  fall  back  upon." 

"  That  is  true  ;  but  there  is  one  thing  that  annoys  me, 
Japhet,  which  is,  we  may  have  difficulty  in  leaving  these  people 
when  we  wish.  Besides,  you  forget  that  you  are  losing  sight 
of  the  principal  object  you  had  in  view,  that  is,  of  'finding  out 
your  father.' " 

"  I  certainly  never  expect  to  find  him  among  the  gipsies," 
replied  I,  "  for  children  are  at  a  premium  with  them.  They 
steal  from  others,  and  are  not  very  likely  therefore  to  leave 
them  at  the  Foundling.  But  I  do  not  know  whether  I  have 
not  as  good  a  chance  in  our  present  employment  as  in  any  other. 
I  have  often  been  thinking  that  as  fortunetellers  we  may  get 
hold  of  many  strange  secrets  ;  however,  we  shall  see.  Melchior 
says,  that  he  intends  to  appear  in  that  character  as  soon  as  he 
has  made  a  harvest  in  his  present  one." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  Melchior,  now  that  you  have  been 
so  much  with  him  ?" 

"  I  think  him  an  unprincipled  man,  but  still  with  many  good 
qualities.  He  appears  to  have  a  pleasure  in  deceit,  and  to  have 
waged  war  with  the  world  in  general.  Still  he  is  generous, 
and,  to  a  certain  degree,  confiding  ;  kind  in  his  disposition,  and 
apparently  a  very  good  husband.  There  is  something  on  his 
mind  which  weighs  him  down  occasionally,  and  checks  him  in 
the  height  of  his  mirth.  It  comes  over  him  like  a  dark  cloud 
orer  a  bright  summer  sun  ;  and  he  is  all  gloom  for  a  few 
minutes.  I  do  not  think  that  he  would  now  commit  any  great 
crime  ;  but  I  have  a  suspicion  that  he  has  done  something 
which  is  a  constant  cause  of  remorse." 

"  You  are  a  very  good  judge  of  character,  Japhet.  But 
what  a  dear  little  child  is  that  Fleta  !  She  may  exclaim  wilh 
you — Who  is  my  father  ?" 

"  Yes,  we  are  both  in  much  the  same  predicament,  and  that 
it  is  which  I  believe  has  so  much  increased  my  attachment  to 
her.  We  are  brother  and  sister  iu  misfortune,  and  a  sister  she 


68  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

sver  shall  be  to  me,  if  such  is  the  will  of  Heaven.     But  we  .mist 
rise  early  to-morrow,  Tim  ;  so  good  night." 

"  Yes,  to-morrow  it  will  be  juggle  aud  tumble — eat  fire — 
um — and  so  on,  as  Mr.  Cophagus  would  have  said  ;  so  good 
uight,  Japhet." 

The  next  morning  we  arrayed  ourselves  in  our  new  habili- 
ments ;  mine  were  silk  stockings,  shoes,  and  white  kerseymere 
knee'd  breeches,  a  blue  silk  waistcoat  loaded  with  tinsel,  and  a 
short  jacket  to  correspond  of  blue  velvet,  a  sash  round  my  waist, 
a  hat  and  a  plume  of  feathers.  Timothy  declared  I  looked 
very  handsome,  and  as  the  glass  said  the  same  as  plain  as  it 
could  speak,  I  believed  him.  Timothy's  dress  was  a  pair  of 
wide  Turkish  trowsers  and  red  jacket,  with  spangles.  The 
others  were  much  the  same.  Fleta  was  attired  in  small,  white 
satin,  Turkish  trowsers,  blue  muslin  and  silver  embroidered 
frock,  worked  sandals,  and  her  hair  braided  and  plaited  in  long 
tails  behind,  and  she  looked  like  a  little  sylph.  Melchior's 
dress  was  precisely  the  same  as  mine,  and  a  more  respectable 
company  was  seldom  seen.  Some  musicians  had  been  hired, 
and  handbills  were  now  circulated  all  over  the  town  stating 
that  Signer  Eugenio  Velotti,  with  his  company,  would  have  the 
honour  of  performing  before  the  nobility  and  gentry.  The  bill 
contained  the  fare  which  was  to  be  provided,  and  intimated 
the  hour  of  the  performance,  and  the  prices  to  be  paid  for  the 
seats.  The  performance  was  to  take  place  in  a  very  large 
room  attached  to  the  inn,  which,  previous  to  the  decadence  of 
the  town,  had  been  used  as  an  assembly-room.  A  platform  was 
erected  on  the  ontside,  on  which  were  placed  the  musicians,  and 
where  we  all  occasionally  made  our  appearance  in  our  splendid 
dresses  to  attract  the  wonder  of  the  people.  There  we  strutted 
up  and  down,  all  but. poor  little  Fleta,  who  appeared  to  shrink 
at  the  display  from  intuitive  modesty.  When  the  music  ceased, 
a  smart  parley  between  Melchior  and  me,  and  Philotas  and 
Timothy,  as  the  two  fools,  would  take  place  ;  and  Melchior 
declared,  after  the  performance  was  over,  that  we  conducted 
ourselves  to  admiration. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER,  69 

"  Pray,  Mr.  Philotas,  do  me  the  favour  to  tell  me  how  many 
people  you  think  are  now  present  ?"  said  Melchior  to  Num,  in 
an  imperative  voice. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Num,  looking  up  with  his  idiotical, 
melancholy  face. 

"  Ha  !  ha  I  ha  I"  roared  the  crowd  at  Num's  stupid  an- 
•wer. 

"  The  fellow's  a  fool  I"  said  Melchior,  to  the  gaping  au- 
dience. 

"  Well,  then,  if  he  can't  tell,  perhaps  you  may,  Mr.  Diony- 
sius,"  said  I,  addressing  Tim. 

"How  many,  sir?  Do  you  want  to  know  exactly  and 
directly  ?" 

"Yes,  tir,  immediately." 

"  Without  counting,  sir  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  without  counting." 

"  Well,  then,  sir,  I  will  tell,  and  make  no  mistake  ;  there's 
exactly  as  many  again  as  half" 

"  Ha  I  ha  !  ha  1"  from  the  crowd. 

"  That  won't  do,  sir.     How  many  may  be  the  half  ?" 

"  How  many  may  be  the  half  ?     Do  you  know  yourself,  sir  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  to  be  sure  I  do." 

"  Then  there's  no  occasion  for  me  to  tell  you." 

"  Ha  !  ha  1  ha  !" 

"  Well,  then,  sir,"  continued  Melchior  to  Philotas,  "  perhaps 
fou'll  tell  how  many  ladies  and  gentlemen  we  may  expect  to 
honour  us  with  their  company  to-night." 

"  How  many,  sir." 

"  Yes,  sir,  how  many." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  said  Num,  after  a  pause. 

"  Positively  you  are  the  greatest  fool  I  ever  met  with,"  said 
Melchior. 

"  Well,  he  does  act  the  fool  as  natural  as  life,"  observed  the 
crowd.  "  What  a  stupid  face  he  does  put  on  1" 

"  Perhaps  you  will  be  able  to  answer  that  question,  Mr. 
Dionysius,"  said  I  to  Tim. 


TO  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

•'  Yes,  sir,  I  know  exactly." 

"  Well,  sir,  let's  hear. 

"  In  the  first  place,  all  the  pretty  women  will  come,  and  all 
the  ugly  ones  'stay  away  ;  and  as  for  the  men,  all  those  who 
have  got  any  money  will  be  certain  to  come  ;  those  who 
hav'n't,  poor  devils,  must  stay  outside." 

"  Suppose,  sir,  you  make  a  bow  to  the  ladies." 

"  A  very  low  one,  sir  ?" 

"  Yes,  very  low  indeed." 

Tim  bent  his  body  to  the  ground,  and  threw  a  somerset 
forward.  "  There,  sir  ;  I  bowed  so  low,  that  I  came  up  on  the 
other  side." 

"  Ha  !  ha  !  capital  !"  from  the  crowd. 

"I've  got  a  round  turn  in  my  back,  sir,"  continued  Tim, 
rubbing  himself.  "  Hadn't  I  better  take  it  out  again  ?" 

"  By  all  means." 

Tim  threw  a  somerset  backwards.  "  There,  sir,  all's  right 
now.  One  good  turn  deserves  another.  Now,  I'll  be  off." 

"  Where  are  you  going  to,  sir  ?" 

"  Going  sir  !  Why,  I  left  my  lollipop  in  the  tinder-box,  and 
I'm  going  to  fetch  it." 

"  Ha  !  ha  1  ha  1" 

"  Strike  up,  music  !"  and  Master  Jumbo  commenced  tumb- 
ling. 

Such  was  the  elegant  wit  with  which  we  amused  and  at- 
tracted the  audience.  Perhaps,  had  we  been  more  refined,  we 
should  not  have  been  so  successful. 

That  evening  we  had  the  room  as  full  as  it  could  hold 
Signor  Velotti,  alias  Melchior,  astonished  them.  The  cards 
appeared  to  obey  his  commands — rings  were  discovered  in 
lady's  shoes — watches  were  beat  to  a  powder  and  made  whole 
— canary  birds  flew  out  of  eggs.  The  audience  were  delighted. 
The  entertainment  closed  with  Fleta's  performance  on  the 
Black  wire  ;  and  certainly  never  was  there  any  thing  more 
beautiful  and  graceful.  Balanced  on  the  wire  in  a  continual, 
waving  motion,  her  eyes  fixed  upon  a  point  to  enable  her  tc 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  71 

maintain  her  position,  she  performed  several  feats,  such  as  the 
olaying  with  five  oranges,  balancing  swords,  &c.  Her  extreme 
beauty — her  very  picturesque  and  becoming  dress — her  mourn- 
ful expression  and  down-cast  eyes, — her  gentle  manner,  ap- 
peared to  win  the  hearts  of  the  audience  ;  and  when  she 
was  assisted  off  from  her  perilous  situation  by  Melchior  and 
me,  and  made  her  graceful  courtesy,  the  plaudits  were  unani- 
mous. 

When  the  company  dispersed  I  went  to  her,  intending  to 
praise  her,  but  I  found  her  in  tears.  "  What  is  the  matter, 
my  dear  Fleta  ?" 

"  0  nothing  1  don't  say  I  have  been  crying — but  I  cannot 
bear  it — so  many  people  looking  at  me.  Don't  say  a  word  to 
Melchior — I  won't  cry  any  more." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

IT  IS  VERY  EASY  TO  HUMBUG  THOSE  WHO  ARE    SO  EAGER  TO  BE  HUM 

BUGGED    AS    PEOPLE  ARE    IN  THIS  WORLD  OF    HUMBUG WE  SHOW 

OURSELVES     EXCESSIVELY     DISINTERESTED,     WHICH     ASTONISHES 
EVERYBODY 

I. KISSED  aud  consoled  her;  she  threw  her  arm  round  my  neck, 
and  remained  there  with  her  face  hid  for  some  time.  We  then 
joined  the  others  at  supper.  Melchior  was  much  pleased  with 
our  success,  and  highly  praised  the  conduct  of  Timothy  and 
myself,  which  he  pronounced  was,  for  the  first  attempt,  far  be- 
yond his  expectations. 

We  continued  to  astonish  all  the  good  people  of foi 

five  days,  when  we  discovered  the  indubitable  fact,  that  there 
was  no  more  money  to  be  extracted  from  their  pockets,  upon 
which  we  resumed  our  usual  clothes  and  smock  frocks,  and  with 
our  bundles  in  our  hands,  set  off  for  another  market  town, 
about  fifteen  miles  distant.  There  we  were  equally  successful. 


72  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

aud  Melchoir  was  delighted  with  our  having  proved  such  a 
powerful  acquisition  to  his  troop;  but  not  to  dwell  too  long 
upon  one  subject,  I  shall  inform  the  reader  that,  after  a  trip  of 
six  weeks,  during  which  we  were  very  well  received,  we  once 
more  returned  to  the  camp,  which  had  located  within  five  miles 
of  our  last  scene  of  action.  Every  one  was  content — we  were 
all  glad  to  get  back  and  rest  from  our  labours.  Melchior  was 
pleased  with  his  profits,  poor  little  Fleta  overjoyed  to  be  once 
more  in  the  seclusion  of  her  tent,  and  Nattee  very  glad  to  hear 
of  our  good  fortune,  and  to  see  her  husband.  Timothy  and  I 
had  already  proved  ourselves  so  useful,  that  Melchior  treated 
us  with  the  greatest  friendship  and  confidence — and  he  made  us 
a  present  out  of  the  gains,  for  our  exertions ;  to  me  he  gave  ten, 
and  to  Timothy  five,  pounds. 

"  There,  Japhet,  had  you  hired  yourself  I  should  not  have 
paid  you  more  than  seven  shillings  per  week,  finding  you  in 
food;  but  you  must  acknowledge  that  for  six  weeks  that  is  not 
bad  pay.  However,  your  earnings  will  depend  upon  our  suc- 
cess, and  I  rather  think  that  we  shall  make  a  much  better  thing 
of  it  when  next  we  start,  which  will  be  in  about  a  fortnight; 
but  we  have  some  arrangements  to  make.  Has  Timothy  a  good 
memory  ?" 

"  I  think  he  has." 

"  That  is  well.  I  told  you  before  that  we  are  to  try  the 
'  Wise  Man,' — but  first  we  must  have  Nattde  in  play.  To- 
morrow we  will  start  for ,"  mentioning  a  small  quiet  tow'n 

about  four  miles  off. 

We  did  so,  early  the  next  morning,  and  arrived  about  noon, 
pitching  our  tents  on  the  common,  not  far  from  the  town;  but 
in  this  instance  we  left  all  the  rest  of  our  gang  behind.  Mel- 
chior's  own  party  and  his  two  tents  were  all  that  were  brought 
by  the  donkeys. 

Melchior  and  I,  dressed  as  countrymen,  went  into  the  town 
at  dusk,  and  entered  a  respectable  sort  of  inn,  taking  our  seats 
at  one  of  the  tables  in  the  tap-room,  and,  as  we  had  already 
planned,  after  we  had  called  for  beer,  commenced  a  conversa 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  73 

tion  in  the  hearing  of  the  others  who  were  sitting  drinking  and 
smoking. 

"  Well,  I  never  will  believe  it — it's  all  cheat  and  trickery," 
said  Melchior,  "  and  they  only  do  it  to  pick  your  pocket.  Tell 
your  fortune,  indeed  !  I  suppose  she  promised  you  a  rich  wife 
and  half-a-dozen  children." 

"  No,  she  did  not,"  replied  I,  "  for  I  am  too  young  to  marry; 
but  she  told  me  what  I  know  has  happened." 

"  Well,  what  was  that  ?" 

"  Why,  she  told  me  that  my  mother  had  married  again,  and 
turned  me  out  of  doors  to  work  for  my  bread." 

"  But  she  might  have  heard  that." 

"  How  could  she  ?  No,  that's  not  possible;  but  she  told  me 
I  had  a  mole  on  my  knee,  which  was  a  sign  of  luck.  Now  how 
could  she  know  that  ?" 

"  Well,  I  grant  that  was  odd — and  pray  what  else  did  she 
promise  you  ?" 

"  Why,  she  said  that  I  should  meet  with  my  dearest  friend 
to-night.  Now  that  does  puzzle  me,  for  I  have  but  one  in  the 
world,  and  he  is  a  long  way  off." 

"  Well,  if  you  do  meet  your  friend,  then  I'll  believe  her;  but 
if  not,  it  has  been  all  guess  work;  and  pray  what  did  you 
pay  for  all  this — was  it  a  shilling,  or  did  she  pick  your 
pocket  ?" 

"  That's  what  puzzles  me — she  refused  to  take  anvthing.  I 
offered  it  again  and  again,  and  she  said,  '  No;  that  she  would 
have  no  money — that  her  gift  was  not  to  be  sold.' " 

"  Well,  that  is  odd.  Do  you  hear  what  this  young  man 
says,"  said  Melchior,  addressing  the  others,  who  had  swallowed 
every  word. 

"  Yes,"  replied  one;  "  but  who  is  this  person  ?" 

"  The  queen  of  the  gipsies,  I  am  told.  I  never  saw  such  a 
wonderful  woman  in  my  life — her  eyes  go  right  through  you. 
I  met  her  on  the  common,  and,  as  she  passed,  she  dropped  a 
handkerchief  I  ran  back  to  give  it  her,  and  then  she  thanked 
me  and  said,  '  Open  your  hand  and  let  me  see  the  palm.  Here 

4 


74  JATHKT,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

are  great  lines,  and  you  will  be  fortunate ;'  and  then  she  told  me 
a  great  deal  more,  and  bid  God  bless  me." 

"  Then  if  she  said  that,  she  cannot  have  dealings  with  the 
devil,"  observed  Melchior. 

"  Very  odd — very  strange — take  no  money — queen  of  the 
gipsies,"  was  echoed  from  all  sides. 

The  landlady  and  the  bar-maid  listened  with  wonder,  when 
who  should  come  in,  as  previously  agreed,  but  Timothy.  I 
pretended  not  to  see  him;  but  ne  came  up  to  me,  seizing  me  by 
the  hand,  and  shaking  it  with  apparent  delight,  and  crying, 
"  Wilson,  have  you  forgot  Smith  ?" 

"  Smith  1"  cried  I,  looking  earnestly  in  his  face.  "  Why  so 
it  is.  How  came  you  here  ?" 

"I  left  Dublin  three  days  ago,"  replied  he;  "but  how  I 
came  here  into  this  house,  is  one  of  the  strangest  things  that 
ever  occurred.  I  was  walking  over  the  common,  when  a  tall 
handsome  woman  looked  at  me,  and  said,  '  Young  man,  if  you 
will  go  into  the  third  public-house  you  pass,  you  will  meet  an 
old  friend,  who  expects  you.'  I  thought  she  was  laughing  at 
me;  but  as  it  mattered  very  little  in  which  house  I  passed  the 
night,  I  thought  for  the  fun  of  the  thing  I  might  as  well  take 
her  advice." 

"  How  strange  1"  cried  Melchior,  "  and  she  told  him  the 
same — that  is,  he  would  meet  a  friend." 

"  Strange — very  strange — wonderful — astonishing  I"  was 
echoed  from  all  quarters,  and  the  fame  of  the  gipsy  was  already 
established. 

Timothy  and  I  sat  down  together,  conversing  as  old  friends, 
and  Melchior  went  about  from  one  to  the  other,  narrating  the 
wonderful  occurrence  till  past  midnight,  when  we  all  three  took 
beds  at  the  inn,  as  if  we  were  travellers. 

The  report  which  we  had  circulated  that  evening  induced 
many  people  to  go  out  to  see  Natte'e,  who  appeared  to  take  no 
notice  of  them;  and  when  asked  to  tell  fortunes,  waved  them 
away  with  her  hand.  But,  although  this  plan  of  Melchior's 
was.  for  the  first  two  or  three  days,  very  expedient,  yet,  as  it 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  76 

was  not  intended  to  last,  Timothy,  who  remained  with  me  at 
the  inn,  became  very  intimate  with  the  bar-maid,  and  obtained 
from  her  most  of  the  particulars  of  her  life.  I,  also,  from  re- 
peated conversations  with  the  landlady,  received  information 
very  important,  relative  to  herself  and  many  of  the  families  in 
the  town;  but  as  the  employment  of  Nattee  was  for  an  ulterior 
object,  we  contented  ourselves  with  gaining  all  the  information 
we  could  before  we  proceeded  further.  After  we  had  been  there 
a  week,  and  the  fame  of  the  gipsy  woman  had  been  marvel- 
lously increased — many  things  having  been  asserted  of  her 
which  were  indeed  truly  improbable — Melchior  agreed  that 
Timothy  should  persuade  the  bar-maid  to  try  if  the  gipsy  wo- 
man would  tell  her  fortune  :  The  girl,  with  some  trepidation, 
agreed,  but  at  the  same  time  expecting  to  be  refused,  consented 
to  walk  with  him  over  the  common.  Timothy  advised  her  to 
pretend  to  pick  up  a  sixpence  when  near  to  Natte'e,  and  ask 
her  if  it  did  not  belong  to  her;  and  the  bar-maid  acted  upon 
his  suggestions,  having  just  before  that  quitted  the  arm  of 
Timothy,  who  had  conducted  her. 

44  Did  you  drop  a  sixpence  ?  I  have  picked  up  one,"  said  the 
girl,  trembling  with  fear  as  she  addressed  Natte'e. 

41  Child,"  replied  Nattee,  who  was  prepared,  "  I  have  neither 
dropped  a  sixpence  nor  have  you  found  one — but  never  mind 
that,  I  know  that  which  you  wish,  and  I  know  who  you  are. 
Now  what  would  you  with  me  ?  Is  it  to  inquire  whether  the 
landlord  and  landlady  of  the  Golden  Lion  intend  to  keep  you  iu 
their  service  ?" 

44  No,"  replied  the  girl,  frightened  at  what  she  heard  ;  "  not 
to  inquire  that,  but  to  ask  what  my  fortune  will  be  ?" 

44  Open  your  palm,  pretty  maid,  and  I  will  tell  you.  Hah  1 
I  see  that  you  were  born  in  the  West — your  father  is  dead — 
your  mother  is  in  service — and  let  me  see, — you  have  a  brother 
at  sea — now  in  the  West  Indies." 

At  this  intelligence,  all  of  which,  as  may  be  supposed,  had 
tKjen  gathered  by  us,  the  poor  girl  was  so  frightened  that  she 
fell  down  in  a  swoon,  and  Timothy  carried  her  off.  When  she 


T6  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

»eas  taken  home  to  the  inn,  she  was  so  ill  that  she  was  put  into 
bed,  and  what  she  did  say  was  so  incoherent,  that,  added  to 
Timothy's  narrative,  the  astonishment  of  the  landlady  and 
others  was  beyond  all  bounds.  I  tried  very  hard  to  bring  the 
landlady,  but  she  would  not  consent ;  and  now  Natte*e  was 
pestered  by  people  of  higher  condition,  who  wished  to  hear 
what  she  would  say.  Here  NatteYs  power"  were  brought  into 
play.  She  would  not  refuse  to  see  them,  but  would  not  give 
answers  till  she  had  asked  questions,  and,  as  from  us  she  had 
gleaned  much  general  information,  so  by  making  this  knowledge 
appear  in  her  questions  to  them,  she  made  them  believe  she 
knew  more.  If  a  young  person  came  to  her,  she  would 
immediately  ask  the  name — of  that  name  she  had  all  the 
references  acquired  from  us  as  to  family  and  connexions.  Bear- 
ing upon  them,  she  would  ask  a  few  more,  and  then  give  them 
an  abrupt  dismissal. 

This  behaviour  was  put  up  with  from  one  of  her  commanding 
presence,  who  refused  money,  and  treated  those  who  accosted 
her  as  if  she  was  their  superior.  Many  came  again  and  again, 
telling  her  all  they  knew,  and  acquainting  her  with  every  trans- 
action of  their  life,  to  induce  her  to  prophesy,  for  such,  she 
informed  them,  was  the  surest  way  to  call  the  spirit  upon  her. 
By  these  means  we  obtained  the  secret  history  of  the  major 

part,  that  is,  the  wealthier  part  of  the  town  of ;  and 

although  the  predictions  of  Nattde  were  seldom  given,  yet  when 
given,  they  were  given  with  such  perfect  and  apparent  know- 
ledge of  the  parties,  that  when  she  left,  which  she  did  about  six 
weeks  after  her  first  appearance,  the  whole  town  rang  with 
accounts  of  her  wonderful  powers. 

It  will  appear  strange  that  Melchior  would  not  permit 
Nattde  to  reap  a  harvest,  which  might  have  been  great ;  but 
the  fact  was  that  he  only  allowed  the  seed  to  be  sown  that 
a  greater  harvest  might  be  gathered  hereafter.  Nattee  disap- 
peared, the  gipsies'  tent  was  no  longer  on  the  common,  and  the 
grass,  which  had  been  beaten  down  into  a  road  by  the  feet 
of  the  frequent  applicants  to  her,  was  again  permitted  to 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  77 

spring  op.  We  also  took  our  departure,  and  rejoined  the 
camp  with  Nattee,  where  we  remained  for  a  fortnight,  to 
permit  the  remembrance  of  her  to  subside  a  little — knowing 
that  tne  appetite  was  alive,  and  would  not  be  satisfied  until  it 
was  appeased. 
After  that  tune  Melchior,  Timothy,  and  I,  again  set  off 

for  the  town  of ,  and  stopping  at  a  superior   inn  in 

another  part  of  the  town,  dressed  as  travellers,  that  is,  people 
who  go  about  the  country  for  orders  from  the  manufacturers, 
ordered  our  beds  and  supper  hi  the  coffee-room.  The  conversa- 
tion was  soon  turned  upon  the  wonderful  powers  of  Nattee,  the 
gipsy.  "  Nonsense,"  said  Melchior,  "  she  knows  nothing.  I 
have  heard  of  her.  But  there  is  a  man  coming  this  way  (should 
he  happen  to  pass  through  this  town)  who  will  surprise  and 
frighten  you.  No  one  knows  who  he  is.  He  is  named  the 
Great  Aristodemus.  He  knows  the  past,  the  present,  and  the 
future.  He  never  looks  at  people's  hands — he  only  looks  you 
in  the  face,  and  woe  be  to  them  who  tell  him  a  lie.  Otherwise,  he 
is  good  tempered  and  obliging,  and  will  tell  whn  t  will  come  to 
pass,  and  his  predictions  never  have  been  known  to  fail.  They 
say  that  he  is  hundreds  of  years  old,  and  his  1  air  is  white  as 
silver."  At  this  information  many  expressed  thoir  doubts,  and 
many  others  vaunted  the  powers  of  the  gipsy.  Melchior  replied, 
"  that  all  he  knew  was,  that  for  the  sura  of  two  guineas  paid 
down,  he  had  told  him  of  a  legacy  left  him  of  six  hundred 
pounds,  which  otherwise  he  would  never  have  known  of  or 
received."  All  the  town  of being  quite  alive  for  for- 
tune-telling, this  new  report  gained  wind,  and  after  a  week's 
eojourn,  Melchior  thought  that  the  attempt  should  be  made. 


T8  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  SEED  HAVING  BEEN  CAREFULLY  SOWN,  WE  NOW  REAP  A  GOU>BK 

HARVEST WE  TELL  EVERY  BODY  WHAT  THEY  KNEW  BEFORE,  AND 

WE  ARE  LOOKED  UPON  AS  MOST  MARVELLOUS  BY  MOST  MARVELLOUS 
FOOLS. 

WE  accordingly  packed  up  and  departed  to  another  market 
town.  Timothy  dressed  in  a  sombre  suit  of  black,  very  much 
like  an  undertaker,  was  provided  with  a  horse,  with  the  follow- 
ing directions  :  to  proceed  leisurely  until  he  was  within  half  a 

mile  of  the  town  of ,  and  then  to  gallop  in  as  fast  as  he 

could,  stop  at  the  best  inn  in  the  place,  and  order  apartments 
for  the  Great  Aristodemus,  who  might  be  expected  in  half  an 
hour.  Every  thing  in  this  world  depends  upon  appearances, 
that  is,  when  you  intend  to  gull  it ;  and  as  every  one  in  the 
town  had  heard  of  the  Great  Aristodemus,  so  every  one  was 
anxious  to  know  something  about  him,  and  Timothy  was  pes- 
tered with  all  manner  of  questions  ;  but  he  declared  that  he 
was  only  his  courier,  and  could  only  tell  what  other  people  said  ; 
but  then  what  other  people  said,  by  Timothy's  account,  was 
very  marvellous  indeed.  Timothy  had  hardly  time  to  secure 
the  best  rooms  in  the  hotel,  when  Melchior,  dressed  in  a  long 
flowing  silk  gown,  with  a  wig  of  long  white  hair,  a  square  cap, 
and  two  or  three  gold  chains  hanging  from  his  neck,  certainly 
most  admirably  disguised,  and  attended  by  me  in  the  dress  of  a 
German  student,  a  wig  of  long  brown  locks  hanging  down  my 
shoulders,  made  our  appearance  in  a  post  chaise  and  four,  and 
drove  up  to  the  door  of  the  bin,  at  a  pace  which  shook  every 
house  in  the  street,  and  occasioned  every  window  to  be  tenanted 
with  one  or  more  heads  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  this  unusual 
occurrence,  for  it  was  not  a  very  great  town,  although  once  of 
importance  ;  but  the  manufactures  had  been  removed,  and  it 
was  occupied  by  those  who  had  become  independent  by  their 
own  exertions,  or  by  those  of  their  forefathers. 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  79 

The  door  of  the  chaise  was  opened  by  the  obsequious  Tim- 
othy, who  pushed  away  the  ostlers  and  waiters,  as  if  unworthy 
to  approach  his  master,  and  the  Great  Aristodemus  made  his 
appearance.  As  he  ascended  the  steps  of  the  door,  his  pas- 
sage was  for  a  moment  barred  by  one  whose  profession  Mel- 
chior  well  knew.  "  Stand  aside,  exciseman  !"  said  he,  in  a 
commanding  voice.  "  No  one  crosses  my  path  with  impunity." 
Astonished  at  hearing  his  profession  thus  mentioned,  the  excise- 
man, who  was  the  greatest  bully  in  the  town,  slipped  on  one 
side  with  consternation,  and  all  those  present  lifted  up  their 
eyes  and  hands  with  astonishment.  The  Great  Aristodemus 
gained  his  room,  and  shut  his  door  ;  and  I  went  out  to  pay  for 
the  chaise  and  order  supper,  while  Timothy  and  the  porters 
were  busy  with  our  luggage,  which  was  very  considerable. 

"  My  master  will  not  see  any  one,"  said  I  to  the  landlord  : 
"  he  quits  this  town  to-morrow,  if  the  letters  arrive  which  he 
expects  by  the  post ;  therefore,  pray  get  rid  of  this  crowd,  and 
let  him  be  quiet,  for  he  is  very  tired,  having  travelled  one  hnn- 
red  and  fifty  miles  since  the  dawn  of  day." 

When  Tim  and  I  had  performed  this  duty,  we  joined  Mel- 
chior  in  his  room,  leaving  the  news  to  be  circulated.  "This 
promises  well,"  observed  Melchior  ;  "  up  to  the  present  we 
have  expended  much  time  and  money  ;  now  we  must  see  if  we 
cannot  recover  it  tenfold.  Japhet,  you  must  take  an  opportu- 
nity of  going  out  again  after  supper,  and  make  enquiries  of  the 
landlord  what  poor  people  they  have  in  the  town,  as  I  am  very 
generous,  and  like  to  relieve  them  ;  you  may  observe,  that  all 
the  money  offered  to  me  for  practising  my  art,  I  give  away  to 
the  poor,  having  no  occasion  for  it."  This  I  did,  and  we  then 
sat  down  to  supper,  and  having  unpacked  our  baggage,  went  to 
bed,  after  locking  the  door  of  the  room,  and  taking  out  the 
key. 

The  next  morning  we  had  every  thing  in  readiness,  and  aa 
the  letters,  as  the  reader  may  suppose,  did  not  arrive  by  the 
post,  we  were  obliged  to  remain,  and  the  landlord  ventured  tc 
hint  to  me,  that  several  people  were  anxious  to  consult  my  mas 


80  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

ter.  I  replied,  that  I  would  speak  to  him,  but  it  was  necessarj 
to  cautiou  those  who  came,  that  they  must  either  offer  gold — 
or  nothing  at  all.  I  brought  his  consent  to  see  one  or  two,  but 
no  more.  Now,  although  we  had  various  apparatus  to  use, 
when  required,  it  was  thought  that  the  effect  would  be  greater, 
if,  in  the  first  instance,  every  thing  was  simple.  Melchior,  there- 
fore, remained  sitting  at  the  table,  which  was  covered  with 
a  black  cloth,  worked  with  curious  devices,  and  a  book  of  hiero- 
glyphics before  him,  and  an  ivory  wand,  tipped  with  gold,  lying 
by  the  book.  Timothy  standing  at  the  door,  with  a  short  Ro- 
man sword  buckled  rouad  his  belt,  and  I,  in  a  respectful  atti- 
tude, behind  the  Great  Aristodemus. 

The  first  person  who  was  admitted  was  the  lady  of  the 
mayor  of  the  town  ;  nothing  could  be  more  fortunate,  as  we 
had  every  information  relative  to  her  and  her  spouse,  for  people 
in  high  places  are  always  talked  of.  Aristodemus  waved  his 
hand,  and  I  brought  forward  a  chair  in  silence,  and  motioned  that 
she  should  be  seated.  Aristodemus  looked  her  in  her  face,  and 
then  turned  over  several  leaves,  until  he  fixed  upon  a  page, 

which  he  considered  attentively.  Mayoress  of ,  what 

wouldst  thou  with  me  ?" 

She  started,  and  turned  pale.     "  I  would  ask " 

"  I  know  ;  thou  wouldst  ask  many  things,  perhaps,  had  I 
time  to  listen.  Amongst  others  thou  wouldst  ask  if  there  is 
any  chance  of  thy  giving  an  heir  to  thy  husband.  Is  it 
not  so  ?" 

"  Yes,  it  is,"  replied  the  lady,  fetching  her  breath. 

"So  do  I  perceive  by  this  book  ;  but  let  me  put  one  ques- 
tion to  thee.  Wouldst  thou  have  blessings  showered  on  thee, 
yet  do  no  good  ?  Thou  art  wealthy — yet  what  dost  thou  and 
thy  husband  do  with  these  riches  ?  Are  ye  liberal !  No.  Give, 
and  it  shall  be  given.  I  have  said." 

Aristodemus  waved  his  hand,  and  the  lady  rose  to  with- 
draw. A  guinea  was  in  her  fingers,  and  her  purse  in  her  hand; 
she  took  out  four  more,  and  added  them  to  the  other,  and  laid 
them  on  the  table. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEAKCH  OF  A  FATHER,  81 

"  Tis  well,  lady  ;  charity  shall  plead  for  thee.  Artolphe,  let 
tbat  money  be  distributed  among  the  poor." 

I  bowed  in  silence,  and  the  lady  retired. 

"  Who  will  say  that  I  do  no  good,"  observed  Melchior,  srail 
ing,  as  soon  as  she  was  gone.  "  Her  avarice  and  that  of  her 
husband  are  as  notorious  as  their  anxiety  for  children.  Now,  if 
persuade  them  to  be  liberal,  I  do  service." 

"  But  you  have  given  her  hopes." 

"  I  have,  and  the  very  hope  will  do  more  to  further  theii 
wishes  than  any  thing  else.  It  is  despair  which  too  often  pre- 
vents those  who  have  no  children  from  having  any.  How  often 
do  you  see  a  couple,  who,  after  years  waiting  for  children,  have 
at  last  given  up  their  hope,  and  resigned  themselves  to  the  dis- 
pensations of  Providence,  and  then,  when  their  anxiety  has  sub- 
sided, have  obtained  a  family  ?  Japhet,  I  am  a  shrewd  observer 
of  human  nature." 

"  That  I  believe,"  replied  I ;  "  but  I  do  not  believe  your  last 
remark  to  be  correct — but  Timothy  raps  at  the  door." 

Another  lady  entered  the  room,  and  then  started  back,  as  if 
she  would  retreat,  so  surprised  was  she  at  the  appearance  of 
the  Great  Aristodemus ;  but  as  Timothy  had  turned  the  key, 
her  escape  was  impossible.  She  was  unknown  to  us,  which  was 
rather  awkward  ;  but  Melchior  raised  his  eyes  from  his  book, 
and  waved  his  hand  as  before,  that  she  should  be  seated.  With 
some  trepidation  she  stated,  that  she  was  a  widow,  whose 
dependence  was  upon  an  only  son  now  at  sea  ;  that  she  had  not 
heard  of  him  for  a  long  while,  and  was  afraid  that  some  acci- 
dent had  happened  ;  that  she  was  in  the  greatest  distress — 
"  and,"  continued  she,  "  I  have  nothing  to  offer  but  this  ring. 
Can  you  tell  me  if  he  is  yet  alive?"  cried  she,  bursting 
into  tears ;  "  but  if  you  have  not  the  art  you  pretend 
to,  O  do  not  rob  a  poor,  friendless  creature,  but  let  me 
depart  \" 

"  When  did  you  receive  your  last  letter  from  him  ?"  said 
Melchior. 

"  It  is  now  seven  months — dated  from  Bahia,"  replied  she, 


82  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

pulling  it  Out  of  her  reticule,  and  covering  her  face  with  her 
handkerchief. 

Melchior  caught  the  address,  and  then  turned  the  letter  over 
on  the  other  side,  as  it  lay  on  the  table.  "  Mrs.  Watson," 
tail  1  he. 

"  Heavens  !  do  you  know  my  name  ?"  cried  the  woman. 

"  Mrs.  Watson,  I  do  not  require  to  read  your  son's  letter — 
I  know  its  contents."  He  then  turned  over  his  book,  and 
studied  for  a  few  seconds.  "  Your  son  is  alive." 

"  Thank  God  1"  cried  she,  clasping  her  hands,  and  dropping 
her  reticule. 

"  But  you  must  not  expect  his  return  too  soon — he  is  well 
employed." 

"Oh  1  I  care  not — he  is  alive — he  is  alive  !  God  bless  you 
— God  bless  you  !" 

Melchoir  made  a  sign  to  me,  pointing  to  the  five  guineas  and 
the  reticule  ;  and  I  contrived  to  slip  them  into  her  reticule, 
while  she  sobbed  in  her  handkerchief. 

"  Enough,  Madam  ;  you  must  go,  for  others  require  my 
aid." 

The  poor  woman  rose,  and  offered  the  ring. 

"  Nay,  nay,  I  want  not  thy  money  ;  I  take  from  the  rich, 
that  I  may  distribute  to  the  poor — but  not  from  the  widow  in 
affliction.  Open  thy  bag."  The  widow  took  up  her  bag,  and 
opened  it.  Melchior  dropped  in  the  ring,  taking  his  wand  from 
the  table,  waved  it,  and  touched  the  bag.  "As  thou  art 
honest,  so  may  thy  present  wants  be  relieved.  Seek,  and  thou 
shalt  find." 

The  widow  left  the  room  with  tears  of  gratitude  ;  and  I 
must  say,  that  I  was  affected  with  the  same.  When  she  had 
gone,  I  observed  to  Melchior,  that  up  to  the  present  he  had 
toiled  for  nothing. 

"  Very  true,  Japhet  ;  but  depend  upon  it,  if  I  assisted  that 
poor  woman  from  no  other  feelings  than  interested  motives,  I 
did  well  ;  but  I  tell  thee  candidly,  I  did  it  from  compassion. 
We  are  odd  mixtures  of  good  and  evil.  I  wage  war  with  fools 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  83 

and  knavos,  but  not  with  all  the  world.  I  gave  that  money 
freely — she  required  it ;  and  it  may  be  put  as  a  set-off  against 
my  usual  system  of  fraud,  or  it  may  not — at  all  events,  I 
pleased  myself." 

"  But  you  told  her  that  her  son  was  alive." 

"  Very  true,  and  he  may  be  dead  ;  but  is  it  not  well  to  com- 
fort her — even  for  a  short  time  to  relieve  that  suspense  which 
is  worse  than  the  actual  knowledge  of  his  death  ?  Sufficient 
for  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof." 

It  would  almost  have  appeared  that  this  good  action  of 
Melchior  met  with  its  reward,  for  the  astonishment  of  the 
widow  at  finding  the  gold  hi  her  reticule — her  narrative  of 
what  passed,  and  her  assertion  (which  she  firmly  believed  to  be 
true),  that  she  had  never  left  her  reticule  out  of  her  hand,  and 
that  Melchior  had  only  touched  it  with  his  wand,  raised  his 
reputation  to  that  degree,  that  nothing  else  was  talked  about 
throughout  the  town,  and  to  crown  all,  the  next  day's  post 
brought  her  a  letter  and  remittances  from  her  son  ;  and  the 
grateful  woman  returned,  and  laid  ten  guineas  on  the  black 
cloth,  showering  a  thousand  blessings  upon  Melchior,  and  almost 
worshipped  him  as  a  supernatural  being.  This  was  a  most  for- 
tunate occurrence,  and  as  Melchior  prophesied,  the  harvest  did 
now  commence.  In  four  days  we  had  received  upwards  of 
JE200,  and  we  then  thought  it  tune  that  we  should  depart. 
The  letters  arrived,  which  were  expected  ;  and  when  we  set  on 
in  a  chaise  and  four,  the  crowd  to  see  us  was  so  great,  that  it 
«va*  with  difficulty  we  could  pass  through  it 


$4  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

IN  WHICH  MELCHIOR  TALB.S  VERY  MUCH  LIKE  AN  ASTROLOGER,  AND 
TIM  AND  I  RETURN  TO  OUR  OLD  TRADE  OF  MAKING  UP  INNOCENT 
PRESCRIPTIONS. 

WE  had  taken  our  norses  for  the  next  town  ;  but  as  soon  ae 
we  were  fairly  on  the  road,  I  stopped  the  boys,  and  told  them 
that  the  Great  Aristodemus  intended  to  observe  the  planets 
and  stars  that  night,  and  that  they  were  to  proceed  to  a  com- 
mon which  I  mentioned.  The  post-boys,  who  were  well  aware 
of  his  fame,  and  as  fully  persuaded  of  it  as  every  body  else, 
drove  to  the  common  ;  we  descended,  took  off  the  luggage,  and 
received  directions  from  Melchior  in  their  presence  about  the 
instruments,  to  which  the  boys  listened  with  open  mouths  and 
wonderment.  I  paid  them  well,  and  told  them  they  might 
return,  which  they  appeared  very  glad  to  do.  They  reported 
what  had  occurred,  and  this  simple  method  of  regaining  our 

camp,  added  to  the  astonishment  of  the  good  town  of . 

When  they  were  out  of  sight,  we  resumed  our  usual  clothes, 
packed  all  up,  carried  away  most  of  our  effects,  and  hid  the 
others  in  the  furze  to  be  sent  for  the  next  night,  not  being  more 
than  two  miles  from  the  camp.  We  soon  arrived,  and  were 
joyfully  received  by  Fleta  and  Nattde. 

As  we  walked  across  the  common,  I  observed  to  Melchior> 
I  wonder  if  these  stars  have  any  influence  upon  mortals,  as  it 
was  formerly  supposed  ?" 

"  Most  assuredly  they  have,"  rejoined  Melchior.  "  I  cannot 
read  them,  but  I  firmly  believe  in  them." 

1  made  the  above  remark,  as  I  had  often  thought  that  such 
was  Melchior's  idea. 

"  Yes/'  continued  he,  "  every  man  has  his  destiny — such 
must  be  the  case.  It  is  known  beforehand  what  is  to  happen 
to  us  by  an  Omniscient  Being,  and  being  known,  what  is  it  but 
destiny  which  cannot  be  changed  ?  It  is  fate,"  continued  he, 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  85 

•urveying  the  stars  with  his  hand  raised  up,  "  and  that  fate  is 
as  surely  written  there  as  the  sun  shines  upon  us  ;  but 
the  great  book  is  sealed,  because  it  would  not  add  to  our 
happiness." 

"  If,  then,  all  is  destiny,  or  fate,  what  inducement  is  there  to 
do  well  or  ill  ?"  replied  I.  "  We  may  commit  all  arts  of  evil, 
and  say,  that  as  it  was  predestined,  we  could  not  help  it. 
Besides,  would  it  be  just  that  the  Omniscient  Being  should 
puuish  us  for  those  crimes  which  we  cannot  prevent,  aud  which 
are  allotted  to  us  by  destiny  ?" 

"  Japhet,  you  argue  well ;  but  you  are  in  error,  because,  like 
most  of  those  of  the  Christian  church,  you  understand  not  the 
sacred  writings,  nor  did  I  until  I  knew  my  wife.  Her  creed  is, 
I  believe,  correct ;  and  what  is  more,  adds  weight  to  the  truths 
of  the  Bible." 

"  I  thought  that  gipsies  had  no  religion." 

"  You  are  not  the  only  one  who  supposes  so.  It  is  true  that 
the  majority  of  the  tribe  are  held  by  the  higher  castes  as  serfs, 
and  are  not  instructed  ;  but  with — if  I  may  use  the  expression 
— the  aristocracy  of  them,  it  is  very  different,  and  their  creed  I 
have  adopted." 

"  I  should  wish  to  hear  their  creed,"  replied  I. 

"Hear  it  then.  Original  sin  commenced  in  heaven — when 
the  angels  rebelled  against  their  God — not  on  earth." 

"  I  will  grant  that  sin  originated  first  in  heaven." 

"  Do  you  think  that  a  great,  a  good  God  ever  created  anj 
being  for  its  destruction  aud  eternal  misery,  much  less  an 
angel  ?  Did  he  not  foresee  their  rebellion  ?" 

"  I  grant  it." 

"  This  world  was  not  peopled  with  the  image  of  God  until 
after  the  fall  of  the  angels  :  it  had  its  living  beings,  its  mon- 
sters perhaps,  but  not  a  race  of  men  with  eternal  souls.  But  it 
was  peopled,  as  we  see  it  now  is,  to  enable  the  legions  of 
angels  who  fell  to  return  to  their  former  happy  state — as  a  pil- 
grimage by  which  they  might  obtain  their  pardons,  and  resume 
;heir  seats  in  heaven.  Not  a  child  is  born,  but  the  soul  of  «cme 


86  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

fallen  chetab  saters  into  the  body  to  work  out  its  salvation 
Many  do,  many  do  not,  and  then  they  have  their  task  to 
recommence  anew  ;  for  the  spirit  once  created  is  immortal, 
and  cannot  be  destroyed  ;  and  the  Almighty  is  all  goodness, 
and  would  ever  pardon." 

"  Then  you  suppose  there  is  no  such  thing  as  eternal  punish' 
ment  ?" 

"  Eternal  ! — no.  Punishment  there  is,  but  not  eternal. 
When  the  legions  of  angels  fell,  some  were  not  so  perverse  as 
others  :  they  soon  re-obtained  their  seats,  even  when,  as  chil- 
dren, having  passed  through  the  slight  ordeal,  they  have  been 
Bummoned  back  to  heaven  ;  but  others  who,  from  their  infancy, 
show  how  bad  were  their  natures,  have  many  pilgrimages  to 
perform  before  they  can  be  purified.  This  is,  hi  itself,  a  punish- 
ment. What  other  punishment  they  incur  between  their  pil- 
grimages we  know  not ;  but  this  is  certain,  that  no  one  was 
created  to  be  punished  eternally." 

"  But  all  this  is  but  assertion,"  replied  I  ;  "  where  are  your 
proofs  ?" 

"  In  the  Bible  ;  some  day  or  other  I  will  show  them  to  you  ; 
but  now  we  are  at  the  camp,  and  I  am  anxious  to  embrace 
Nattde." 

I  thought  for  some  time  upon  this  singular  creed  ;  one,  in 
itself,  not  militating  against  religion,  but  at  the  same  time  I 
could  not  call  to  mind  any  passages  by  which  it  could  be  sup- 
ported. Still  the  idea  was  beautiful,  and  I  dwelt  upon  it  with 
pleasure.  I  have  before  observed,  and  indeed  the  reader  must 
have  gathered  from  my  narrative,  that  Melchior  was  no  common 
personage.  Every  day  did  I  become  more  partial  to  him,  and 
more  pleased  with  our  erratic  life.  What  scruples  I  had  at  first, 
gradually  wore  away  ;  the  time  passed  quickly,  and  although  I 
would  occasionally  call  to  mind  the  original  object  of  my  setting 
forth,  I  would  satisfy  myself  by  the  reflection,  that  there  wa« 
yet  sufficient  time.  Little  Fleta  was  now  my  constant  compa- 
nion when  in  the  camp,  and  I  amused  myself  with  teaching  her 
to  write  and  read. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHEB.  87 

"  Japhet,"  said  Timothy  to  me  one  day  as  we  were  cutting 
fiazel  broach  wood  in  the  forest,  "  I  don't  see  that  you  get  on 
very  fast  in  your  search  after  your  father." 

"  No,  Tim,  I  do  not ;  but  I  am  gaining  a  knowledge  of  the 
world  which  will  be  very  useful  to  me  when  I  recommence  the 
search  ;  and  what  is  more,  I  am  saving  a  great  deal  of  money 
to  enable  me  to  prosecute  it." 

"  What  did  Melchior  give  you  after  we  left  ?" 

"  Twenty  guineas,  which,  with  what  I  had  before,  make  more 
than  fifty." 

"  And  he  gave  me  ten,  which  makes  twenty,  with  what  I  had 
before.  Seventy  pounds  is  a  large  sum." 

"  Yes,  but  soon  spent,  Tim.  We  must  work  a  little  longer. 
Besides,  I  cannot  leave  that  little  girl — she  was  never  intended 
for  a  rope-dancer." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  Japhet,  for  I  feel  as  you 
do — she  shall  share  our  fortunes." 

"  A  glorious  prospect,  truly,"  replied  I,  laughing  ;  "  but 
never  mind,  it  would  be  better  than  her  remaining  here.  But 
how  are  we  to  manage  that  ?" 

"  Ay  1  that's  the  rub  ;  but  there  is  time  enough  to  think 
about  it  when  we  intend  to  quit  our  present  occupation." 

"  Well,  I  understand  from  Melchior  that  we  are  to  start  in  a 
few  days  ?" 

"  What  is  it  to  be,  Japhet  ?" 

"  Oh  1  we  shall  be  at  home — we  are  to  cure  all  diseases  under 
the  sun.  To-morrow  we  commence  making  pills,  so  we  may 
think  ourselves  with  Mr.  Cophagus  again." 

"  Well,  I  do  think  we  shall  have  some  fun  ;  but  I  hope  Mel- 
chiar  won't  make  me  take  my  own  pills  to  prove  their  good 
qualities — that  will  be  no  joke." 

"  0  no,  Num  is  kept  on  purpose  for  that.  What  else  is  the 
ool  good  for  ?" 

The  uext  week  was  employed  as  we  anticipated.  Boxes  of 
pills  of  every  size,  neatly  labelled,  bottles  of  various  mixtures, 
ohirfly  stimulants,  were  corked  and  packed  up.  Powders  of  an\ 


88  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    Of   A    FATHER. 

thing  were  put  in  papers  ;  but,  at  all  events,  there  was  nothing 
hurtful  in  them.  All  was  ready,  and  accompanied  by  Nun 
(Jumbo  and  Fleta  being  left  at  home)  we  set  off,  Melchior 
assuming  the  dress  in  which  we  had  first  met  him  in  the  waggon, 
and  altering  his  appearance  so  completely,  that  he  would  have 
been  taken  for  at  least  sixty  years  old.  We  now  travelled  on 
foot  with  our  dresses  in  bundles,  each  carrying  his  own,  except 
Num,  who  was  loaded  like  a  pack-horse,  and  made  sore  lamen 
tations  :  "  Can't  you  carry  some  of  this  ?" 

" No,"  replied  I,  "it  is  your  own  luggage  ;  every  one  must 
carry  his  own." 

"  Well,  I  never  felt  my  spangled  dress  so  heavy  before. 
Where  are  we  going  ?" 

"  Only  a  little  way,"  replied  Timothy,  "  and  then  you  will 
have  nothing  more  to  do." 

"I  don't  know  that.  When  master  puts  on  that  dress,  I 
have  to  swallow  little  things  till  I'm  sick." 

"  It's  all  good  for  your  health,  Num." 

"  I'm  very  well,  I  thank'e,"  replied  the  poor  fellow ;  "  but 
I'm  very  hot  and  very  tired." 


CHAPTER    XV. 

tN  WHICH  TIMOTHY  MAKES  A  GRAND  SPEECH,  QUITE  AS  TRUE  AS  THOSB 

DELIVERED  FROM  THE  HUSTINGS MELCHOIR,  LIKE  THE  CANDIDATE, 

STATES  HIS  PRETENSIONS  FOR  PUBLIC  FAVOUR,  AND  THE  PUBLIC,  AS 
USUAL,  SWALLOW  THE  BAIT. 

FORTUNATELY  for  poor  Num,  we  were  not  far  from  the  mar- 
ket town  at  which  we  intended  to  open  our  campaign,  which 
we  did  the  next  morning  by  Num  and  Timothy  sallying  forth, 
the  fonr.er  with  a  large  trumpet  in  his  hand,  and  the  latter  rid- 
ing on  a  donkey.  On  their  arrival  at  the  market-place,  Num 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  89 

jommenced  blowing  it  with  all  his  might,  while  Timothy,  in  his 
spangled  dress,  as  soon  as  they  had  collected  a  crowd,  stood 
upon  his  saddle,  and  hara  ngued  the  people  as  follows  : — 

•'  Gentlemen  and  ladies — I  have  the  honour  to  announce  to 
you  the  arrival  in  this  town  of  the  celebrated  Doctor  Appalla- 
cheosmocommetico,  who  has  travelled  farther  than  the  sun  and 
faster  than  a  comet.  He  hath  visited  every  part  of  the  globe. 
He  has  smoked  the  calumet  with  the  Indians  of  North  America 
— he  has  hunted  with  the  Araucas  in  the  South — galloped  on 
wild  horses  over  the  plains  of  Mexico,  and  rubbed  noses  with 
the  Esquimaux.  He  hath  used  the  chopsticks  with  the  Chinese, 
swung  the  Cherok  pooga  with  the  Hindoos,  and  put  a  new  nose 
on  the  Great  Cham  of  Tartary.  He  hath  visited  and  been  re- 
ceived in  every  court  of  Europe  :  danced  on  the  ice  of  the  Neva 
with  the  Russians — led  the  mazurka  with  the  Poles — waltzed 
with  the  Germans — tarantulaed  with  the  Italians — fandangoed 
with  the  Spanish — and  quadrilled  with  the  French.  He  hath 
explored  every  mine  in  the  universe,  walked  through  every  town 
on  the  Continent,  examined  every  mountain  in  the  world,  as- 
cended Mont  Blanc,  walked  down  the  Andes,  and  run  up  the 
Pyrenees.  He  has  been  into  every  volcano  on  the  globe,  and 
descending  by  Vesuvius  has  been  thrown  up  by  Stromboli.  He 
has  lived  more  than  a  thousand  years,  and  is  still  in  the  flower 
of  his  youth.  He  has  had  one  hundred  and  forty  sets  of  teeth, 
one  after  another,  and  expects  a  new  set  next  Christmas.  Hia 
whole  life  has  been  spent  in  the  service  of  mankind,  and  in  do- 
ing good  to  his  fellow-creatures  ;  and  having  the  experience  of 
more  than  a  thousand  years,  he  cures  more  than  a  thousand 
diseases.  Gentlemen,  the  wonderful  doctor  will  present  himself 
before  you  this  evening,  and  will  then  tell  what  his  remedies 
are  good  for,  so  that  you  may  pick  and  choose  according  to 
your  several  complaints.  Ladies,  the  wonderful  doctor  can 
greatly  assist  you  ;  he  has  secrets  by  which  you  may  have  a 
family  if  you  should  so  wish — philters  to  make  husbands  con- 
stant, and  salve  to  make  them  blind — cosmetics  to  remove  pirn- 
Dies  and  restore  to  youth  and  beauty,  and  powders  to  keep  chiK 


90  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

dren  from  squalling.  Sound  the  trumpet,  Philotas  :  sound,  and 
let  every  body  know  that  the  wonderful  Doctor  Appallacheos- 
mocommetico  has  youchsafed  to  stop  here,  and  confer  his  bless- 
ings upon  the  inhabitants  of  this  town."  Hereupon  Num  again 
blew  the  trumpet  till  he  was  black  in  the  face  ;  and  Timothy, 
dropping  on  his  donkey,  rode  away  to  other  parts  of  the  town, 
where  he  repeated  his  grandiloquent  announcement,  followed, 
as  may  be  supposed,  by  a  numerous  cortege  of  little  ragged 
boys. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  aftenoon,  Melchior  made  his 
appearance  hi  the  market-place,  attended  by  me,  dressed  as  a 
German  student,  Timothy  and  Num  in  their  costumes.  A  stage 
had  been  already  prepared,  and  the  populace  had  crowded 
round  it,  more  with  the  intention  of  laughing  than  of  making 
purchases.  The  various  packets  were  opened  and  arranged  in 
front  of  the  platform,  I  standing  on  one  side  of  Melchior, 
Timothy  on  the  other,  and  Num  with  his  trumpet,  holding  on 
by  one  of  the  scaffold  poles  -at  at  the  corner. 

"  Sound  the  trumpet,  Philotas,"  said  Melchior,  taking  off  his 
three-cornered  hat,  and  making  a  low  bow  to  the  audience  at 
every  blast.  "  Pray,  Mr.  Pool,  do  you  know  why  you  sound  the 
trumpet  ?" 

"  Pm  sure  I  don't  know,"  replied  Num,  opening  his  goggle 
eyes. 

"  Do  you  know,  Mr.  Dionysius  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  can  guess." 

"  Explain  then,  to  the  gentlemen  and  ladies  who  have  hon- 
oured us  with  their  presence." 

"  Because,  sir,  trumpets  are  always  sounded  before  great 
conquerors." 

"  Very  true,  sir ;  but  how  am  I  a  great  conqueror  ?" 

"You  have  conquered  death,  sir  ;  and  he's  a  very  rum  cus- 
tom<  r  to  have  to  deal  with." 

"  Dionysius  yen  have  answered  well,  and  shall  have  some 
bullock's  liver  for  your  supper — don't  forget  to  remind  me,  in 
•ASC  I  forget  it." 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  91 

"  Xo,  that  1  won't,  sir,"  replied  Timothy,  rubbing  his  stomach, 
as  if  delighted  with  the  idea. 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  said  Melchior  to  the  audience,  who 
were  on  the  broad  grin,  "  I  see  your  mouths  are  all  open,  and 
are  waiting  for  the  pills  ;  but  be  not  too  impatient — I  cannot 
part  with  my  medicines  unless  you  have  diseases  which  re- 
quire their  aid  ;  and  I  should,  indeed,  be  a  sorry  doctor,  if  I 
prescribed  without  knowing  your  complaints.  Est  neutrak 
genus  signa.ns  rem  non  animatam,  says  Herodotus,  which  in 
English  means,  what  is  one  man's  meat  is  another  man's  poison; 
and  further,  he  adds,  Ut  jecur,  ut  onus,  pv,t  ut  occiput,  which  is 
as  much  as  to  say,  that  what  agrees  with  one  temperament,  will 
be  injurious  to  another.  Caution,  therefore,  becomes  very 
necessary  in  the  use  of  medicine  ;  and  my  reputation  depends 
upon  my  not  permitting  any  one  to  take  what  is  not  good  for 
him.  And  now,  my  very  dear  friends,  I  will  first  beg  you  to 
observe  the  peculiar  qualities  of  the  contents  of  this  little  phial. 
You  observe  that  there  is  not  more  than  sixty  drops  in  it,  yet 
will  these  sixty  drops  add  ten  years  to  a  man's  life — for  it  will 
cure  him  of  almost  as  many  diseases.  In  the  first  place,  are 
any  of  yon  troubled  with  the  ascites,  or  dropsy,  which  as  the 
celebrated  Galen  hath  declared,  may  be  divided  into  three 
parts,  the  ascites,  the  anasarca,  and  the  tympanites.  The  diag- 
nostics of  this  disease  are,  swelling  of  the  abdomen  or  stomach, 
difficulty  of  breathing,  want  of  appetite,  and  a  teazing  cough. 
I  say,  have  any  of  you  this  disease  ?  None.  Then  I  thank 
Heaven,  that  you  are  not  so  afflicted. 

"  The  next  disease  it  is  good  for,  is  the  peripneumonia ,  or 
inflammation  on  the  lungs — the  diagnostics  or  symptoms  of 
which  are,  a  small  pulse,  swelling  of  the  eyes,  and  redness  of 
the  face.  Say,  have  any  of  you  these  symptoms — if  so,  you 
nave  the  disease.  No  one.  I  thank  Heaven  that  you  are  none 
of  you  so  afflicted. 

"  It  is  also  a  sovereign  remedy  for  the  diarrhea,  the  diagnos- 
tics of  which  are,  faintness,  frequent  gripiugs,  rumbling  in  the 
bowels,  ?old  sweats,  and  spasm." 


92  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

Here  one  man  came  forward  and  complained  of  frequent 
gripings — another  of  rumbling  in  the  bowels,  and  two  or  three 
more  of  cold  sweats. 

"  It  is  well.  0  I  thank  Heaven  that  I  am  here  to  adminis- 
ter to  you  myself !  for  what  says  Hippocrates  ?  Relativum  turn 
antecedent*  concordat,  which  means,  that  remedies  quickly  ap- 
plied, kill  the  disease  in  its  birth.  Here,  my  friends,  take  it — 
take  it — pay  me  only  one  shilling,  and  be  thankful.  When  you 
go  to  rest,  fail  not  to  offer  up  your  prayers.  It  is  also  a  sove- 
reign remedy  for  the  dreadful  chiragra  or  gout.  I  cured  the 
whole  corporation  of  city  aldermen  last  week,  by  their  taking 
three  bottles  each,  and  they  presented  me  with  the  freedom  of 
the  city  of  London,  in  a  gold  box,  which  I  am  sorry  that  I 
have  forgotten  to  bring  with  me.  Now  the  chiragra  may  be 
divided  into  several  varieties.  Gonagra,  when  it  attacks  the 
knees — chiragra,  if  in  the  hands — onagra,  if  in  the  elbow — 
omagra,  if  in  the  shoulder,  and  lumbago,  if  in  the  back.  All 
these  are  varieties  of  gout,  and  for  all  these  the  contents  of 
this  little  bottle  is  a  sovereign  remedy  ;  and,  observe,  it  will 
keep  for  ever.  Twenty  years  hence,  when  afflicted  in  your  old 
age — and  the  time  will  come,  my  good  people — you  may  take 
down  this  little  phial  from  the  shelf,  and  bless  the  hour  in  which 
you  spent  your  shilling  ;  for,  as  Eusebius  declares,  '  Verbum  per- 
sonate concordat  cum  nominativo,'  which  is  as  much  as  to  say,  the 
active  will  grow  old,  and  suffer  from  pains  in  their  limbs.  Who, 
then,  has  pains  in  his  limbs  or  lumbago  ?  Who,  indeed,  can 
say  that  he  will  not  have  them  ?" 

After  this  appeal,  the  number  of  those  who  had  pains  in  theii 
limbs,  or  who  wished  to  provide  against  such  a  disease,  proved 
BO  great,  that  all  our  phials  were  disposed  of,  and  the  doctor 
was  obliged  to  promise  that  in  a  few  days  he  would  have  some 
more  of  this  invaluable  medicine  ready. 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  shall  now  offer  to  your  notice  a  valu- 
able plaster,  the  effects  of  which  are  miraculous.  Dionysius, 
come  hither,  you  have  felt  the  benefit  of  this  plaster  ;  tell  yout 
case  to  those  who  are  present,  and  mind  you  tell  the  truth  " 


.'APHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  93 

Hereupon  Timothy  stepped  forward.  "  Ladies  and  gentle- 
men, upon  my  honour,  about  three  weeks  back  I  fell  off  the 
scaffold,  broke  my  back  bone  into  three  pieces,  and  was  carried 
off  to  a  surgeon,  who  looked  at  me,  and  told  the  people  to  take 
measure  for  my  coffin.  The  great  doctor  was  not  there  at  the 
time,  having  been  sent  for  to  consult  with  the  king's  physi- 
cians upon  the  queen's  case,  of  Cophagns,  or  intermitting  mor- 
tification of  the  great  toe  ;  but  fortunately,  just  as  they  were 
putting  me  into  a  shell,  my  master  came  back,  and  immediately 
applying  his  sovereign  plaster  to  my  back,  in  five  days  I  was 
able  to  sit  up,  and  in  ten  days  I  returned  to  my  duty." 

"  Are  you  quite  well  now,  Dionysius  ?" 

"  Quite  well,  sir,  and  my  back  is  like  whalebone." 

"  Try  it." 

Hereupon  Dionysius  threw  two  somersets  forward,  two  back- 
ward, walked  across  the  stage  on  his  hands,  and  tumbled  in 
every  direction. 

"  You  see,  gentlemen,  I'm  quite  well  now,  and  what  I  have 
Baid,  I  assure  you,  on  my  honour,  to  be  a  fact." 

"  I  hope  you'll  allow  that  to  be  a  very  pretty  cure,"  said  the 
doctor,  appealing  to  the  audience  ;  "  and  I  hardly  need  say, 
that  for  sprains,  bruises,  contusions,  wrenches,  and  dislocations, 
this  plaster  is  infallible  ;  and  I  will  surprise  you  more  by  telling 
you,  that  I  can  sell  it  for  eight-pence  a  sheet." 

The  plaster  went  off  rapidly,  and  was  soon  expended.  Tho 
doctor  went  on  describing  his  other  valuable  articles,  and  when 
he  came  to  his  cosmetics,  &c.,  for  women,  we  could  not  hand 
them  out  fast  enough.  "  And  now,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I  must 
bid  you  farewell  for  this  evening." 

"  I'm  glad  of  that,"  said  Timothy,  "  for  now  I  mean  to  sell 
my  own  medicine." 

"  Your  medicine,  Mr.  Dionysius  !  what  do  you  mean  by 
that  ?" 

"  Mean,  sir  ;  I  mean  to  say  that  I've  got  a  powder  of  raj 
own  contriving,  which  is  a  sovereign  remedy." 

"  Remedy,  sir,  for  what  ?" 


1)4  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"Why,  it's  a  powder  to  kill  fleas,  and  what's  more,  it's  just 
as  infallible  as  your  own." 

"  Have  you,  indeed  ;  and  pray,  sir,  how  did  you  hit  upon  the 
invention  ?" 

"  Sir,  I  discovered  it  in  my  sleep  by  accident ;  but  I  have 
jrroved  it,  and  I  will  say,  if  properly  administered,  it  is  quite  aa 
infallible  as  any  of  yours.  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  pledge  yon 
my  honour  that  it  will  have  the  effect  desired,  and  all  I  ask  is 
sixpence  a  powder." 

"  But  how  is  it  to  be  used,  sir  ?" 

"  Used — why,  like  all  other  powders  ;  but  I  won't  give  the 
directions  till  I  have  sold  some ;  promising,  however,  if  my 
method  does  not  succeed,  to  return  the  money." 

"  Well,  that  is  fair,  Mr.  Dionysius  ;  and  I  will  take  care  that 
you  keep  your  bargain.  Will  any  body  purchase  the  fool's 
powder  for  killing  fleas  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  replied  a  man  on  the  broad  grin,  "  here's  six 
pence.  Now,  then,  fool,  how  am  I  to  use  it  ?" 

"  Use  it,"  said  Timothy,  putting  the  sixpence  in  his  pocket ; 
"  I'll  explain  to  you.  You  must  first  catch  the  flea,  hold  him 
so  tight  between  the  fore  finger  and  thumb  as  to  force  him  to 
open  his  mouth ;  when  his  mouth  is  open  you  must  put  a  very 
little  of  this  powder  into  it,  and  it  will  kill  him  directly." 

"  Why,  when  I  have  the  flea  as  tight  as  you  state,  I  may  as 
well  kill  him  myself." 

"  Very  true,  so  you  may,  if  you  prefer  it ;  but  if  you  do  not, 
you  may  use  this  powder,  which  upon  my  honour  is  infallible." 

This  occasioned  a  great  deal  of  mirth  among  the  by-standers, 
Timothy  kept  his  sixpence,  and  our  exhibition  for  this  day 
snded,  very  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  Melchior,  who  declared 
he  had  taken  more  than  ever  he  had  done  before  in  a  whole 
week.  Indeed,  the  whole  sum  amounted  to  £11  10s.,  all  taken 
in  ViilHngs  and  sixpences,  for  articles  hardly  worth  the  odd 
shillings  in  the  account ;  so  we  sat  down  to  supper  with  antici- 
pations of  a  good  harvest,  and  so  it  proved.  We  stayed  four 
days  at  this  town,  and  then  proceeded  onwards,  when  the  like 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  95 

success  attended  us,  Timothy  and  I  being  obliged  to  sit  np 
nearly  the  whole  night  to  label  and  roll  up  pills,  and  mix  medi- 
cines, which  we  did  in  a  very  scientific  manner.  Nor  was  it 
always  that  Melchior  presided  ;  he  would  very  often  tell  his 
audience  that  business  required  his  attendance  elsewhere,  to 
visit  the  sick,  and  that  he  left  the  explanation  of  his  medicines 
and  their  properties  to  his  pupil,  who  was  far  advanced  in 
knowledge.  With  my  prepossessing  appearance,  I  made  a 
great  effect,  more  especially  among  the  ladies,  and  Timothy 
exerted  himself  so  much  when  with  me,  that  we  never  failed  to 
bring  home  to  Melchior  a  great  addition  to  his  earnings — so 
much  so,  that  at  last  he  only  showed  himself,  pretended  that 
he  was  so  importuned  to  visit  sick  persons,  that  he  could  stay 
no  longer,  and  then  leave  us  after  the  first  half  hour,  to  carry 
on  the  business  for  him.  After  six  weeks  of  uninterrupted 
success,  we  returned  to  the  camp,  which,  as  usual,  was  not  very 
far  off. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

IMPORTANT  NEWS,  BUT  NOT  COMMUNICATED A  DISSOLUTION  OF  PAKl. 

NERSHIP  TAKES  PLACE. 

MELCHIOR'S  profits  had  been  much  more  than  he  anticipated, 
and  he  was  very  liberal  to  Timothy  and  myself;  indeed,  he 
looked  upon  me  as  his  right  hand,  and  became  more  intimate 
and  attached  every  day.  We  were,  of  course,  delighted  to 
return  to  the  camp,  after  our  excursion.  There  was  so  much 
continued  bustle  and  excitement  in  our  peculiar  profession,  that 
a  little  quiet  was  delightful  ;  and  I  never  felt  more  happy  than 
when  Fleta  threw  herself  into  my  arms,  and  Nattde  came  for- 
ward with  her  usual  dignity  and  grace,  but  with  more  thau 
usual  condescendence  and  kindness,  bidding  me  welcon»e  home. 
Home — alas  !  it  was  never  meant  for  my  home,  or  poor  Fleta's 
that  1  felt.  It  was  our  sojourn  for  a  time,  and  no  more 


90  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

We  had  been  more  than  a  year  exercising  our  talents  in  this 
lucrative  manner,  when  one  day,  as  I  was  sitting  at  the  en- 
trance to  the  tent,  with  a  book  in  my  hand,  out  of  which  Fleta 
was  reading  to  me,  a  gipsy  not  belonging  to  our  gang  made 
his  appearance.  He  was  covered  with  dust,  and  the  dew  drops, 
hanging  on  his  dark  forehead,  proved  that  he  had  travelled 
fast.  He  addressed  Natte'e,  who  was  standing  by,  in  their  own 
language,  which  I  did  not  understand  ;  but  I  perceived  that  he 
asked  for  Melchior.  After  an  exchange  of  a  few  sentences, 
Natte'e  expressed  astonishment  and  alarm,  put  her  hands  over 
her  face,  and  removed  them  as  quickly,  as  if  derogatory  in  her 
to  show  emotion,  and  then  remained  in  deep  thought.  Per- 
ceiving Melchior  approaching,  the  gipsy  hastened  to  him,  and 
they  were  soon  in  animated  conversation.  In  ten  minutes  it 
was  over  :  the  gipsy  went  to  the  running  brook,  washed  his 
face,  took  a  large  draught  of  water,  and  then  hastened  away, 
and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

Melchior,  who  had  watched  the  departure  of  the  gipsy,  slowly 
approached  us.  I  observed  him  and  Natte'e  as  they  met,  as  I 
was  certain  that  something  important  had  taken  place.  Mel- 
chior fixed  his  eyes  upon  Nattee — she  looked  at  him  mournfully 
— folded  her  arms,  and  made  a  slight  bow  as  if  in  submission, 
and  in  a  low  voice  quoted  from  the  Scriptures,  "  Whither  thou 
goest,  I  will  go — thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God 
my  God."  He  then  walked  away  with  her :  they  sat  down 
apart,  and  were  in  earnest  conversation  for  more  than  an 
hour. 

"  Japhet,"  said  Melchior  to  me,  after  he  had  quitted  his  wife, 
"  what  I  am  about  to  tell  you  will  surprise  you.  I  have  trusted 
you  with  all  I  dare  trust  any  one,  but  there  are  some  secrets  in 
every  man's  life  which  had  better  be  reserved  for  himself  and 
her  who  is  bound  to  him  by  solemn  ties.  We  must  now  part. 
In  a  few  days  this  camp  will  be  broken  up,  and  these  people  will 
join  some  other  division  of  the  tribe.  For  me,  you  will  see  me 
no  more.  Ask  me  not  to  explain,  for  I  cannot." 

"  And  Nattee,"  said  I. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  97 

''  Will  follow  my  fortunes,  whatever  they  may  be — you  will 
«ee  her  no  more." 

"  For  myself  I  care  not,  Melchior  ;  the  world  is  before  me, 
and  remain  with  the  gipsies  without  you  I  will  not :  but  answer 
me  one  question — what  is  to  become  of  little  Fleta  ?  Is  she  to 
remain  with  the  tribe,  to  which  she  does  not  belong,  or  does  she 
go  with  you  ?" 

Melchior  hesitated.  "  I  hardly  can  answer  ;  but  what  consc 
quencfc  cats  the  welfare  of  a  soldier's  brat  be  to  you  ?" 

"Allowing  her  to  be  what  you  assert,  Melchoir,  I  am  de- 
votedly attached  to  that  child,  and  could  not  bear  that  she 
should  remain  here.  I  am  sure  that  you  deceived  me  in  what  you 
stated  :  for  the  child  remembers,  and  has  told  me  anecdotes  of 
her  infancy,  which  prove  that  she  is  of  no  mean  family,  and  that 
she  has  been  stolen  from  her  friends." 

"  Indeed,  is  her  memory  so  good  ?"  replied  Melchior,  firmly 
closing  his  teeth.  "  To  Nattde  or  to  me  she  has  never  hinted 
so  much.'7 

1 '  That  is  very  probable  ;  but  a  stolen  child  she  is,  Melchior, 
and  she  must  not  remain  here." 

"  Must  not  1" 

"  Yes,  must  not,  Melchior  :  when  you  quit  the  tribe,  you  will 
no  longer  have  any  power,  nor  can  you  have  any  interest  about 
her.  She  shall  then  choose — if  she  will  come  with  me,  I  will 
take  her,  and  nothing  shall  prevent  me ;  and  in  so  doing  I  do 
you  no  injustice,  nor  do  I  swerve  in  my  fidelity." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  I  may  have  my  secret  reasons 
against  it." 

"  Surely  you  can  have  no  interest  in  a  soldier's  brat,  Mel- 
ehior?" 

•Melchior  appeared  confused  and  annoyed.  "  She  is  no  sol- 
dier's brat :  I  acknowledge,  Japhet,  that  the  child  was  stolen  ; 
but  you  must  not,  therefore,  imply  that  the  child  was  stolen  by 
013  or  by  my  wife." 

"  1  never  accused  you,  or  thought  yon  capable  of  it :  and  that 
is  the  reason  why  I  am  now  surprised  at  the  interest  you  take  iu 

5 


98  JAPHET,    IN   SEARCH    OF   A   FATHER. 

her.  If  she  prefers  to  go  with  you,  I  have  no  more  to  say,  but 
if  not,  I  claim  her  ;  and  if  she  consents,  to  resist  your  interfer- 
ence." 

"  Japhet,"  replied  Melchior  after  a  pause,  "  we  must  not  quar- 
rel now  that  we  are  about  to  part.  I  will  give  you  an  answer 
in  half  an  hour." 

Melchior  returned  to  Natte'e,  and  recommenced  a  conversation 
with  her,  while  I  hastened  to  Fleta. 

"  Fleta,  do  you  know  that  the  camp  is  to  be  broken  up,  and 
Melchior  and  Natte'e  leave  it  together  ?"  4 

"  Indeed  1"  replied  she  with  surprise.  "  Then  what  is  to  be- 
some  of  you  and  Timothy  ?" 

"  We  must  of  course  seek  our  fortunes  where  we  caa." 

"  And  of  me  ?"  continued  she,  looking  me  earnestly  in  the 
face  with  her  large  blue  eyes.  "  Am  I  to  stay  here  I"  oontinaed 
she — with  alarm  in  her  countenance. 

"  Not  if  you  do  not  wish  it,  Fleta  :  as  long  as  I  can  support 
you  I  will — that  is,  if  you  would  like  to  live  with  me  in  prefer 
ence  to  Melch.or." 

"  If  I  would  like,  Japhet !  you  must  know  I  would  like, 
— who  has  been  so  kind  to  me  as  you  1  Don't  leave  EI, 
Japhet." 

"  I  will  not,  Fleta  ;  but  on  condition  that  you  promise  to  be 
guided  by  me,  and  to  do  all  I  wish." 

"  To  do  what  you  wish  is  the  greatest  pleasure  that  I  have 
Japhet — so  I  may  safely  promise  that.  What  has  happened  ?" 

"  That  I  do  not  know  more  than  yourself  ;  but  Melchior  tells 
me  that  he  and  Natte'e  quit  the  gipsy  tents  for  ever." 

Fleta  looked  round  to  ascertain  if  any  one  was  near  us,  and 
then  in  a  low  tone  said,  "  I  understand  their  language,  Japhet, 
that  is,  a  great  deal  of  it,  although  they  do  not  think  so,  and  I 
overheard  what  the  gipsy  said  in  part,  although  he  was  at  some 
distance  He  asked  for  Melchior ;  and  when  Nattee  wanted 
to  know  what  he  wanted,  he  answered  that  '  he.  was  dead  ;'  then 
Natte'e  covered  up  her  face.  I  could  not  hear  all  the  rest,  but 
there  was  something  about  a  horse." 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  99 

He  was  dead.  Had  then  Melchior  committed  murder,  and  waa 
obliged  to  fly  the  country  ?  This  appeared  to  me  to  be  the 
most  probable,  when  I  collected  the  facts  in  my  possession  ; 
and  yet  I  could  not  believe  it :  for  except  that  system  of  deceit 
necessary  to  carry  on  his  various  professions,  I  never  found  any 
thing  in  Melchior's  conduct  which  could  be  considered  as  crimi- 
nal. On  the  contrary,  he  was  kind,  generous  and  upright  in 
his  private  dealings,  and  in  many  points  proved  that  he  had  a 
a  good  heart.  He  was  a  riddle  of  inconsistency,  it  was  certain ; 
professionally  he  would  cheat  any  body,  and  disregard  all  truth 
and  honesty  ;  but  in  his  private  character  he  was  scrupulously 
honest,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  assertion  relative  to 
Fleta's  birth  and  parentage,  he  had  never  told  me  a  lie,  that  I 
could  discover.  I  was  summing  up  all  these  reflections  in  my 
mind,  when  Melchior  again  came  up  to  me,  and  desiring  the 
little  girl  to  go  away,  he  said,  "Japnet,  I  have  resolved  to 
grant  your  request  with  respect  to  Fleta,  but  it  must  be  on  con- 
ditions." 

"  Let  me  hear  them.' 

"  First,  then,  Japhet,  as  you  always  have  been  honest  and 
confiding  with  me,  tell  me  now  what  are  your  intentions.  Do 
you  mean  to  follow  up  the  profession  which  you  learnt  under 
me,  or  what  do  you  intend  to  do  ?" 

"  Honestly,  then,  Molchior,  I  do  not  intend  to  follow  up  that 
profession,  unless  driven  to  it  by  necessity.  I  intend  to  seek 
my  father." 

"  And  if  driven  to  it  by  necessity,  do  you  intend  that  Fleta 
shall  aid  you  by  her  acquirements  ?  In  short,  do  you  mean  to 
take  her  with  you  as  a  speculation,  to  make  the  most  of  her,  to 
let  her  sink,  wheu  she  arrives  at  the  age  of  woman,  into  vice 
and  misery  ?" 

"  1  vonder  at  your  asking  me  that  question,  Melchior  ;  it  is 
the  first  act  of  injustice  I  have  received  at  your  hands.  No  ; 
if  obliged  to  follow  up  the  profession,  I  will  not  allow  Fleta  so 
to  do.  I  would  sooner  that  she  were  in  her  grave.  It  is  to 
rescue  her  from  that  very  vice  and  misery,  to  take  her  out  of  a 


100  TAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OK  A  KATHER. 

society  in  which  she  never  ought  to  have  been  placed,  that  1 
take  her  with  me." 

"  And  this  upon  your  honour  ?" 

"  Yes,  upon  my  honour.  I  love  her  as  my  sister,  and  cannot 
help  indulging  in  the  hope  that  in  seeking  my  father  I  may 
chance  to  stumble  upon  hers." 

Melchior  bit  his  lips.  "There  is  another  promise  I  must 
exact  from  you,  Japhet,  which  is,  that  to  a  direction  which  I 
will  give  you,  every  six  mouths  you  will  enclose  an  address 
where  you  may  be  heard  of,  and  also  intelligence  as  to  Pleta's 
welfare  and  health." 

"  To  that  I  give  my  cheerful  promise  ;  but,  Melchior,  you 
appear  to  have  taken,  all  at  once,  a  strange  interest  in  this 
little  girl." 

"  I  wish  you  now  to  think  that  I  do  take  an  interest  in  her 
provided  you  seek  not  to  inquire  the  why  and  the  wherefore. 
Will  you  accept  of  funds  for  her  maintenance  ?" 

"  Not  without  necessity  compels  me  ;  and  then  I  should  be 
glad  to  find,  when  I  can  no  longer  help  her,  that  you  are  still 
her  friend." 

"  Recollect,  that  you  will  always  find  what  is  requisite  by 
writing  to  the  address  which  I  shall  give  you  before  we  part. 
That  point  is  now  settled,  and  on  the  whole  I  think  the  arrange- 
ment is  good." 

Timothy  had  been  absent  during  the  events  of  the  morning. 
When  he  returned,  I  communicated  to  him  what  had  passed, 
and  was  about  to  take  place. 

"  Well,  Japhet,  I  don't  know — I  do  not  dislike  cur  present 
life,  yet  I  am  not  sorry  to  change  it  ;  but  what  are  we  to  do  ?" 

"  That  remains  to  be  considered  :  we  have  a  good  stock  o! 
money,  fortunately,  and  we  must  husband  it  till  we  find  what 
can  be  done." 

We  took  our  suppers  all  together  for  the  last  time,  Melchior 
telling  us  that  he  had  determined  to  set  off  the  nest  day 
Nattde  looked  very  melancholy,  but  resigned  ;  on  the  contrary, 
little  Flcta  was  so  overjoyed,  that  her  face,  generally  so  uiourii- 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  101 

ful,  was  illuminated  with  smiles  whenever  our  eyes  met.  It  was 
delightful  to  see  her  so  happy.  The  whole  of  the  people  in  the 
camp  had  retired,  and  Melchior  was  busy  making  his  arrange- 
ments in  the  tent.  I  did  not  feel  inclined  to  sleep  ;  I  was 
thinking  and  revolving  in  my  mind  my  prospects  for  the  future; 
sitting,  or  rather  lying  down,  for  I  was  leaning  on  my  elbow,  at 
a  short  distance  from  the  tents.  The  night  was  dark  but  clear, 
and  the  stars  were  brilliant.  I  had  been  watching  them,  and 
I  thought  upon  Melchior's  ideas  of  destiny,  and  dwelling  on  the 
futile  wish  that  I  could  read  mine,  when  I  perceived  the 
approach  of  Nattee. 

"Japhet,"  said  she,  "you  are  to  take  the  little  girl  with  you, 
I  find — will  you  be  careful  of  her  ?  for  it  would  be  on  my  con- 
science if  she  were  left  to  the  mercy  of  the  world.  She  departs 
rejoicing,  let  not  her  joy  end  in  tears.  I  depart  sorrowing.  I 
leave  my  people,  my  kin,  my  habits,  and  customs,  my  influence 
all — but  it  must  be  so,  it  is  my  destiny.  She  is  a  good  child, 
Japhet — promise  me  that  you  will  be  a  friend  to  her — and  give 

her  this  to  wear  in  remembrance  of  me,  but not  yet — not 

till  we  are  gone "     She  hesitated.     "Japhet,  do  not  let 

Melchior  see  it  in  your  possession  ;  he  may  not  like  me  having 
given  it  away."  I  took  the  piece  of  paper  containing  the  pres- 
ent, and  having  promised  all  she  required,  "  This  is  the  last- 
yes — the  very  last  time  that  I  may  behold  this  scene,"  continued 
Natte"e,  surveying  the  common,  the  tents,  and  the  animals 
browsing.  "  Be  it  so  ;  Japhet,  good  night,  may  you  prosper  1" 
She  then  turned  away  and  entered  her  tent ;  and  soon  after- 
wards I  followed  her  example. 

The  next  day,  Melchior  was  all  ready.  What  he  had  packed 
up  was  contained  in  two  small  bundles.  He  addressed  the  peo- 
ple belonging  to  the  gang,  in  their  own  language.  Nattde  did 
the  same,  and  the  whole  of  them  kissed  her  hand.  The  tents, 
furniture,  and  the  greatest  part  of  his  other  property,  were  dis- 
tributed among  them,  Jumbo  and  Nuin  were  made  over  to  two 
of  the  principal  men.  Timothy,  Fleta,  and  I  were  also  ready, 
and  intended  to  quit  at  the  same  time  as  Mclchior  and  his  wifo 


102  JAPHET.  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER 

"  Japhet,"  said  Melchior,  "  there  is  yet  some  money  duo  to 
you  for  our  last  excursion — (this  was  true,) — here  it  is — yoo 
and  Timothy  keep  but  one  purse,  I  am  aware.  Good-by,  and 
may  you  prosper  I" 

We  shook  hands  with  Nattde  and  Melchior.  Fleta  went  up 
to  the  former,  and  crossing  her  arms  bent  her  head.  Natto'e 
kissed  the  child,  and  led  her  to  Melchior.  He  stooped  down, 
kissed  her  on  the  forehead,  and  I  perceived  a  sign  of  strongly 
suppressed  emotion  as  he  did  so.  Our  intended  routes  lay  in  a 
different  direction  ;  and  when  both  parties  had  arrived  to  either 
verge  of  the  common,  we  waved  our  hands  as  a  last  farewell, 
and  resumed  our  paths  again.  Fleta  burst  into  tears  as  she 
turned  away  from  her  former  guardians. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  CABINET  COUNCIL 1  RESOLVE  TO  SET  UP  AS  A  GENTLEMAN,  HAVING 

AS    LEGITIMATE    PRETENSIONS    TO    THE    RANK    OF    ONE    AS    MANY 
OTHERS. 

I  LED  the  little  sobbing  girl  by  the  hand,  and  we  proceeded  for 
some  time  in  silence.  It  was  not  until  we  gained  the  high  road 
that  Timothy  interrupted  my  reverie,  by  observing,  "  Japhet, 
have  you  at  all  made  up  your  mind  what  you  shall  do  ?" 

"  I  have  been  reflecting,  Timothy.  We  have  lost  a  great 
deal  of  time.  The  original  intention  with  which  I  left  London 
has  been  almost  forgotten ;  but  it  must  be  so  no  longer.  I 
now  have  resolved  that  as  soon  as  I  have  placed  this  poor  little 
girl  in  safety,  that  I  will  prosecute  my  search,  and  never  be 
diverted  from  it." 

"  I  cannot  agree  with  you  that  we  have  lost  time,  Japhet  ? 
we  had  very  little  money  when  we  started  upon  our  expedition, 
and  now  we  have  sufficient  to  enable  you  to  prosecute  your 
plans  for  a  long  time.  The  question  is,  in  what  direction  ? 


JAPHET,  IN   SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  103 

We  quitted  London,  and  travelled  west,  in  imitation,  as  we 
thought,  of  the  wise  men.  With  all  deference,  in  my  opinion, 
it  was  like  two  fools." 

"I  have  been  thinking  upon  that  point  also,  Tim,  and  I  agree 
with  you  I  expect,  from  several  causes,  which  you  know  as 
vel)  as  I  do,  to  find  my  father  among  the  higher  classes  of 
society  ;  and  the  path  we  took  when  we  started  has  led  us 
into  the  very  lowes*.  It  appears  to  me  that  we  cannot  do 
better  than  retrace-  our  steps.  We  have  the  means  now  to 
appear  as  gentlemen,  and  to  mix  in  good  company  ;  and  Lon- 
don is  the  very  best  plact  for  us  to  repair  to." 

"That  is  precisely  my  opinion,  Japhet,  with  one  single 
exception,  which  I  will  mention  to  you :  but  first  tell  me,  have 
you  calculated  what  our  joint  purses  may  amount  to  ?  It  must 
be  a  very  considerable  ?um." 

I  had  not  examined  the  packet  in  which  was  the  money 
which  Melchior  had  given  me  at  parting.  I  now  opened  it, 
and  found,  to  my  surprise,  that  there  were  Bank  notes  to  the 
amount  of  one  hundred  pounds.  I  felt  that  he  had  given  me 
this  large  sum  tbat  it  might  assist  me  in  Fleta's  expenses. 
"  With  this  sum,"  paid  I,  "  1  cannot  have  much  less  than  two 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds." 

"  And  I  have  more  than  sixty,"  said  Timothy.  "  Keally,  the 
profession  was  not  unprofitable." 

"  No,"  replied  I,  laughing  ;  "  but  recollect,  Tim,  that  wo 
had  no  outlay.  The  public  provided  us  with  food,  our  lodging 
cost  us  nothing.  We  have  had  no  taxes  to  pay  ;  and  at  the 
same  time  have  taxed  folly  and  credulity  to  a  great  extent." 

"  That's  true,  Japhet  ;  and  although  I  am  glad  to  have  the 
money,  I  am  not  sorry  that  we  have  abandoned  the  profes- 
Biou." 

"  Nor  am  I,  Tim  ;  if  you  please,  we  will  forget  it  alto 
gether.  But  tell  me,  what  was  the  exception  you  were  about 
to  make  ?"  • 

"  Simply  this.  Although  upwards  of  three  hundred  pounds 
may  b«  a  great  deal  of  money,  yet,  if  we  are  to  supi>ort  the 


104  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

character  and  appearance  of  gentlemen,  it  will  not  last  for- 
ever. For  instance,  we  must  have  our  valeta.  What  an 
expense  that  will  be  I  Our  clothes  too — we  shall  soon  lose  our 
rank  and  station  in  society,  without  we  obtain  a  situation 
under  government." 

"  We  must  make  it  last  as  long  as  we  can,  T'mo'hy  ;  an  1 
trust  to  good  fortune  to  assist  us." 

"  That's  all  very  well,  Japhet  ;  but  T  had  rather  tnst  to  our 
own  prudence.  Now  hear  what  I  have  to  say.  You  will  bo 
as  much  assisted  by  a  trusty  valet  as  by  any  other  means.  1 
shall,  as  a  gentleman,  be  only  an  expense  and  an  incumbrance  ; 
but  as  a  valet  I  shall  be  able  to  play  into  your  hands,  at  the 
game  tune  more  than  one  half  the  expense  will  be  avoided. 
With  your  leave,  therefore,  I  will  take  my  proper  situation, 
put  on  your  livery,  and  thereby  make  jayself  of  the  greatest 
use." 

I  could  not  help  acknowledging  the  advantages  to  be  derived 
from  this  proposal  of  Timothy's  ;  hut  I  did  not  like  to  accept  it. 

"  It  is  very  kind  of  you,  Timothy,"  replied  I  ;  "  but  I  can 
only  look  upon  you  as  a  friend  and  an  equal." 

"  There  you  are  right  and  are  wrong  in  the  same  breath 
You  are  right  in  looking  upon  me  a?  a  tri«nd,  Japhet ;  and 
you  would  be  still  more  right  in  allowing  me  to  prove  my  friend- 
ship as  I  propose  ;  but  you  are  wrong  in  looking  upon  me  as 
an  equal,  for  I  am  not  so  either  in  personal  appearance,  educa- 
tion, or  any  thing  else.  We  are  both  foundlings,  it  is  true  ; 
but  you  were  christened  after  Abraham  Newland,  and  I  after 
the  workhouse  pump.  You  were  a  gentleman  foundling,  pre- 
senting yourself  with  a  fifty-pound  note,  and  good  clothes.  I 
made  my  appearance  in  rags  and  misery.  If  you  find  your 
parents,  you  will  rise  in  the  world  ;  if  I  find  mine,  I  shall,  in 
all  probability,  have  no  reason  to  be  proud  of  them.  I  there- 
fore must  insist  upon  having  my  own  choice  in  the  part  I  am  to 
play  in  the  drama,  and  I  will  prove  to  you  that  it  is  my  right 
to  choose.  You  forget  that,  wuen  we  started,  your  object  wap 
to  search  after  your  father,  and  I  told  you  mine,  should  be  to 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  105 

look  after  my  mother.  You  have  selected  high  life  as  the 
expected  sphere  in  which  he  is  to  be  found,  and  I  select  low 
life  as  that  in  which  I  am  most  likely  to  discover  the  object  of 
my  search.  So  you  perceive,"  continued  Tim,  laughing,  "  that 
we  must  arrange  so  as  to  suit  the  views  of  both  without  part- 
ing company.  Do  you  hunt  among  bag-wigs,  amber-headed 
canes,  silks  and  satins — I  will  burrow  among  tags  and  tassels, 
/limity  and  mob  caps  ;  and  probably  we  shall  both  succeed  in 
the  object  of  our  search.  I  leave  you  to  hunt  in  the  drawing- 
rooms,  while  I  ferret  in  the  kitchen.  You  may  throw  yourself 
OD  a  sofa  and  exclaim — '  Who  is  my  father  ?'  while  I  will 
sit  in  the  cook's  lap,  and  ask  her  if  she  may  happen  to  be  my 
mother." 

This  sally  of  Timothy's  made  even  Fleta  laugh  ;  and  after  a 
little  more  remonstrance,  I  consented  that  he  should  perform 
the  part  of  my  valet.  Indeed,  the  more  I  reflected  upon  it,  the 
greater  appeared  the  advantages  which  might  accrue  from  the 
arrangement.  By  the  time  that  this  point  had  been  settled,  we 
had  arrived  at  the  town  to  which  we  directed  our  steps,  and 
took  up  our  quarters  at  an  inn  of  moderate  pretensions,  but  of 
very  great  external  cleanliness.  My  first  object  was  to  find  out 
some  fitting  asylum  for  little  Fleta.  The  landlady  was  a  buxom, 
good  tempered  young  woman,  and  I  gave  the  little  girl  into  her 
charge,  while  Timothy  and  I  went  out  on  a  survey.  I  had  made 
up  my  mind  to  put  her  to  some  good,  but  not  very  expensive, 
school,  if  such  were  to  be  found  in  the  vicinity.  I  should  have 
preferred  taking  her  with  me  to  London,  but  I  was  aware  how 
much  more  expensive  it  would  be  to  provide  for  her  there ;  and 
as  the  distance  from  the  metropolis  was  but  twenty  miles,  I 
could  easily  run  down  to  see  her  occasionally.  I  desired  the  lit- 
tle girl  to  call  me  her  brother,  as  such  I  intended  to  be  to  her  in 
future,  and  not  to  answer  every  question  they  might  put  to  her. 
There  was,  however,  little  occasion  for  this  caution  ;  for  Fleta 
was,  as  I  before  observed,  very  unlike  children  in  general.  I 
then  went  out  with  Timothy  to  look  for  a  tailor,  that  I  might 
order  our  clothes,  as  what  we  had  on  were  not  either  of  the 


106  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

best  taste,  or  in  the  very  best  condition.  We  walked  up  the 
main  street,  and  soon  fell  in  with  a  tailor's  shop,  over  which  was 
written  in  large  letters — "  Feodor  Shneider,  Tailor  to  his  Royal 
Highness  the  Prince  of  Darmstadt." 

"  Will  that  do,  Japhet  ?"  said  Timothy,  pointing  to  the 
announcement. 

"  Why  yes,"  replied  I  ;  "  but  how  the  deuce  the  Prince  of 
Darmstadt  should  have  employed  a  man  in  a  small  country 
town  as  his  tailor,  is  to  me  rather  a  puzzle." 

"  Perhaps  he  made  his  clothes  when  he  was  in  Germany," 
replied  Tim. 

"  Perhaps  he  did  ;  but,  however,  he  shall  have  the  honour  of 
making  mine." 

We  entered  the  shop,  and  I  ordered  a  suit  of  the  most 
fashionable  clothes,  choosing  my  colours,  and  being  very  minute 
in  my  directions  to  the  foreman,  who  measured  me  ;  but  as  I 
was  leaving  the  shop  the  master,  judging  by  my  appearance, 
which  was  certainly  not  exactly  that  of  a  gentleman,  ventured 
to  observe  that  it  was  customary  with  gentlemen,  whom  they  had 
not  the  honour  of  knowing,  to  leave  a  deposit.  Although  the 
very  proposal  was  an  attack  upon  my  gentility,  I  made  no  reply; 
but  pulling  out  a  handful  of  guineas,  laid  down  two  on  the 
counter  and  walked  away,  that  I  might  find  another  shop  at 
which  we  might  order  the  livery  of  Timothy  ;  but  this  was  only 
as  a  reconnoitre,  as  I  did  not  intend  to  order  his  liveries  until  t 
could  appear  in  my  own  clothes,  which  were  promised  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  next  day.  There  were,  however,  several  other 
articles  to  be  purchased,  such  as  a  trunk,  portmanteau,  hat, 
gloves,  &c,,  all  which  we  procured,  and  then  went  back  to  the 
inn.  On  my  return  I  ordered  dinner.  Fleta  was  certainly  clad 
in  her  best  frock,  but  bad  was  the  best ;  and  the  landlady,  who 
could  extract  little  from  the  child,  could  not  imagine  who  we 
could  be.  I  had,  however,  allowed  her  to  see  more  than  sum"- 
cient  money  to  warrant  our  expenses  ;  and  so  far  her  scruples 
were,  although  her  curiosity  was  not,  removed. 

That  evening  I  had  a  long  conversation  with  Fleta.     I  told 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          101 

her  that  we  were  to  part,  that  she  must  go  to  school,  and  that 
1  would  yery  often  come  down  to  see  her.  At  first,  she  was  in 
consolable  at  the  idea  ;  but  I  reasoned  with  her,  and  the  gentle, 
intelligent  creature  acknowledged  that  it  was  right.  The  next 
day  my  clothes  came  home,  and  I  dressed  myself.  "  Without 
flattery,  Japhet,"  said  Timothy,  "  you  do  look  very  much  like  a 
gentleman."  Fleta  smiled,  and  said  the  same.  I  thought  so 
too,  but  said  nothing.  Putting  on  my  hat  and  gloves,  and 
accompanied  by  Timothy,  I  descended  to  go  out  and  order  Tim 
liveries,  as  well  as  a  fit-out  for  Fleta. 

After  I  was  out  in  the  street  I  discovered  that  I  had  left  my 
handkerchief,  and  returned  to  fetch  it.  The  landlady,  seeing  a 
gentleman  about  to  enter  the  inn,  made  a  very  low  courtesy, 
and  it  was  not  until  I  looked  hard  at  her  that  she  recognised 
me.  Then  I  was  satisfied  ;  it  was  an  involuntary  tribute  to 
my  appearance,  worth  all  the  flattering  assertions  in  the  world. 
We  now  proceeded  to  the  other  tailor's  in  the  main  street.  I 
entered  the  shop  with  a  flourishing,  important  air,  and  was 
received  with  many  bows.  "  I  wish,"  said  I,  "  to  have  a  suit 
of  livery  made  for  this  young  man,  who  is  about  to  enter  into 
my  service.  I  cannot  take  him  up  to  town  this  figure." 
The  livery  was  chosen,  and  as  I  expressed  my  wish  to  be  off 
the  next  evening,  it  was  promised  to  be  ready  by  an  hour 
appointed. 

I  then  went  to  a  milliner's,  and  desired  that  she  would  call 
at  the  inn  to  fit  out  a  little  girl  for  school,  whose  wardrobe 
had  been  left  behind  by  mistake.  On  the  fourth  day  all  was 
ready.  I  had  made  inquiries,  and  found  out  a  very  respectable 
school,  kept  by  a  widow  lady.  I  asked  for  references,  which 
were  given,  and  I  was  satisfied.  The  terms  were  low — twenty 
pounds  per  annum.  I  paid  the  first  half  year  in  advance,  and 
lodged  fifty  guineas  more  in  the  hands  of  a  banker,  taking  a 
receipt  for  it,  and  giving  directions  that  it  was  to  be  paid  to 
the  schoolmistress  as  it  became  due.  I  took  this  precaution, 
that  should  I  be  in  poverty  myself,  at  all  events  Fleta  might 
be  provided  in  clothes  and  schooling  for  three  years  at  least 


108  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER 

The  poor  child  wept  bitterly  at  the  separation,  and  I  could 
with  difficulty  detach  her  little  arras  from  iny  ueck  ;  and  1  felt 
when  I  left  her  as  if  I  had  parted  with  the  only  valuable  object 
to  me  on  earth. 

All  was  now  ready  ;  but  Timothy  did  not,  as  yet,  assume 
his  new  clothes.  It  would  have  appeared  strange  that  one 
who  sat  at  my  table  should  afterwards  put  on  my  livery  ;  and 
as  in  a  small  town  there  is  always  plenty  of  scandal,  for  Fleta's 
sake,  if  for  no  other  reason,  it  was  deferred  until  our  arrival  in 
London.  Wishing  the  landlady  good-by,  who  I  really  believed 
would  have  given  up  her  bill  to  have  known  who  we  could 
possibly  be,  we  got  on  the  outside  of  the  stage-coach,  and  in 
the  evening  arrived  at  the  metropolis.  I  have  been  particular 
in  describing  all  these  little  circumstances,  as  it  proves  how 
very  awkward  it  is  to  jump,  without  observation,  from  one  sta- 
tion in  society  to  another. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

I    RECEIVE    A    LETTER    FROM    MY    UNCLE,    BY    WHICH    I   NATURALLY 

EXPECT  TO  FIND  OUT  WHO  IS  MY  FATHER LIKE    OTHER  OUTCASTS' 

I  AM  WARNED  BY  A  DREAM. 

BUT  I  have  omitted  to  mention  a  circumstance  of  great  impor- 
tance which  occurred  at  the  inn  the  night  before  I  placed  Fleta 
at  the  boarding-school.  In  looking  over  my  portmanteau,  I 
perceived  the  present  of  Natte'e  to  Fleta,  which  I  had  quite 
forgotten.  I  took  it  to  Fleta,  and  told  her  from  whom  it  came. 
On  opening  the  paper,  it  proved  to  contain  a  long  chain  of 
round  coral  and  gold  beads,  strung  alternately;  the  gold  beads 
were  not  so  large  as  the  coral,  but  still  the  number  of  them, 
and  the  purity  of  the  meta1  made  them  of  considerable  value 
Fleta  passed  the  beads  through  her  fingers,  and  then  threw  h 
round  her  neck,  and  sat  in  deep  thought  for  some  minute* 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  109 

Japhet,"  said  she,  at  last,  "I  have  seen  this — I  have  worn 
this  before — I  recollect  that  I  have  ;  it  rushes  into  my  memorj 
as  an  old  friend,  and  I  think  that  before  morning  it  will  briug 
to  my  mind  something  that  I  shall  recollect  about  it." 

"  Try  all  you  can,  Fleta,  and  let  me  know  to-morrow." 

"  It's  no  use  trying  ;  if  I  try,  I  never  can  recollect  any 
thing.  I  must  wear  it  to-night,  and  then  I  shall  have  some- 
thing come  into  my  mind  all  of  a  sudden ;  or  perhaps  I  may 
dream  something.  Good  night." 

It  immediately  occurred  to  me  that  it  was  most  probable 
that  the  chain  had  been  on  Fleta's  neck  at  the  time  that  she 
was  stolen  from  her  parents,  and  might  prove  the  means  of 
her1  being  identified.  It  was  no  common  chain — apparently 
had  been  wrought  by  people  in  a  state  of  semi-refinement. 
There  was  too  little  show  for  its  value — too  much  sterling 
gold  for  the  simple  effect  produced  ;  and  I  very  much  doubted 
whether  another  like  it  could  be  found. 

The  next  morning  Fleta  was  too  much  affected  at  parting 
with  me,  to  enter  into  much  conversation.  I  asked  whether 
she  had  recollected  any  thing,  and  she  replied,  "  No  ;  that  she 
had  cried  all  night  at  the  thoughts  of  our  separation."  I 
cautioned  her  to  be  very  careful  of  the  chain,  and  I  gave  the 
same  caution  to  the  schoolmistress  ;  and  after  I  had  left  the 
town,  I  regretted  that  I  had  not  taken  it  away,  and  deposited 
it  in  some  place  of  security.  I  resolved  to  do  so  when  I  next 
saw  Fleta  ;  in  the  mean  time  she  would  be  able,  perhaps,  by 
association,  to  call  up  some  passage  of  her  infancy  connected 
with  it. 

I  had  inquired  of  a  gentleman  who  sat  near  me  on  the  coach, 
which  was  the  best  hotel  for  a  young  man  of  fashion.  He 
recommended  the  Piazza,  in  Covent  Garden,  and  to  that  we 
accordingly  repaired.  I  selected  handsome  apartments,  and 
ordered  a  light  supper.  When  the  table  was  laid,  Timothy 
made  his  appearance  in  his  livery,  and  cut  a  very  smart, 
dashing  figure.  I  dismissed  the  waiter,  and  as  soon  as  we 
were  alone,  I  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter.  "  Really,  Timothy. 


110  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER. 

this  is  a  good  farce  ;  come,  sit  down,  and  help  me  to  finish  thie 
bottle  of  wine." 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  Timothy  ;  "  with  your  permission,  I  prefer 
doing  as  the  rest  of  my  fraternity.  You  only  leave  the  bottle 
on  the  side-board,  and  I  will  steal  as  much  as  I  want  ;  but  as 
for  sitting  down,  that  will  be  making  too  free,  and  if  we  were 
seen,  would  be,  moreover,  very  dangerous.  We  must  both 
keep  up  our  characters.  They  have  been  plying  me  with  all 
manner  of  questions  below,  as  to  who  you  were — your  name, 
&c.  I  resolved  that  I  would  give,  you  a  lift  in  the  world,  and 
I  stated  that  you  had  just  arrived  from  making  a  grand  tour — 
which  is  not  a  fib,  after  all — and  as  for  your  name,  I  said  that 
you  were  at  present  incog." 

"  But  why  did  you  make  me  incog.  ?" 

"  Because  it  may  suit  you  so  to  be  ;  and  it  certainly  is  the 
truth,  for  you  don't  know  your  real  name." 

We  were  here  interrupted  by  the  waiter  bringing  in  a  letter 
upon  a  salver.  "  Here  is  a  letter  addressed  to  '  I  or  J.  N.,  on 
his  return  from  his  tour,'  sir,"  said  he  ;  "I  presume  it  is  for 
you?" 

"  You  may  leave  it,"  said  I,  with  nonchalance. 

The  waiter  laid  the  letter  on  the  table,  and  retired. 

"  How  very  odd,  Timothy — this  letter  cannot  be  for  me  ; 
and  yet  they  are  my  initials.  It  is  as  much  like  a  J  as  an  I. 
Depend  upon  it,  it  is  some  fellow  who  has  just  gained  this 
intelligence  below,  and  has  written  to  ask  for  a  subscription 
to  his  charity  list,  imagining  that  I  am  flush  of  money  and 
liberal." 

"  I  suppose  so,"  replied  Tim  ;  "  however,  you  may  just  as 
well  see  what  he  says." 

"  But  if  I  open  it  he  will  expect  something.  I  had  better 
refuse  it." 

"  Oh,  no,  leave  that  to  me  ;  I  know  how  to  put  people  off." 

"  After  all,  it  is  a  fine  thing  to  be  a  gentleman,  and  be 
petitioned." 

I  broke  open  the  seal,  and  found  that  the  letter  contained 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  Ill 

an  enclosure  addressed  to  another  person.     The  letter  was  as 
follows : 

"Mr  DEAR  NEPHEW — ['Bravo,  sir/  said  Timothy  ;  'you've 
found  an  uncle  already — you'll  soon  find  a  father.']  From  the 
great  uncertainty  of  the  post,  I  have  not  ventured  to  do  inort 
than  hint  at  what  has  come  to  light  during  this  last  year,  but 
as  it  is  necessary  that  you  should  be  acquainted  with  the  whole 
transaction,  and  as  you  had  not  decided  when  you  last  wrote, 
whether  you  would  prosecute  your  intended  three  months'  trip 
to  Sicily,  or  return  from  Milan,  you  may  probably  arrive  when 
I  am  out  of  town  ;  I  therefore  enclose  you  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Masterton,  directing  him  to  surrender  to  you  a  sealed  packet, 
lodged  in  his  hands,  containing  all  the  particulars,  the  letters, 
which  bear  upon  them,  and  what  has  been  proposed  to  avoid 
exposure,  which  you  may  peruse  at  your  leisure,  should  you 
arrive  before  my  return  to  town.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that 
the  affair  may  be  hushed  up,  and  we  trust  that  you  will  see  the 
prudence  of  the  measure  ;  as,  once  known,  it  will  be  very  dis- 
creditable to  the  family  escutcheon.  ['  I  always  had  an  idea 
yon  were  of  good  family,'  interrupted  Tim.]  I  wish  you  had 
followed  my  advice,  and  had  not  returned  ;  but  as  you  were 
positive  on  that  point,  I  beg  you  will  now  consider  the  pro- 
priety of  remaining  incognito,  as  reports  are  already  abroad, 
and  your  sudden  return  will  cause  a  great  deal  of  surmise. 
Your  long  absence  at  the  Gottingen  University,  and  your 
subsequent  completion  of  your  grand  tour,  will  have  effaced 
all  remembrance  of  your  person,  and  you  can  easily  be  passed 
off  as  a  particular  friend  of  mine,  and  I  can  introduce  you 
every  where  as  such.  Take,  then,  any  name  you  may  please, 
provided  it  be  not  Smith  or  Brown,  or  such  vulgarisms  ;  and 
on  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  write  a  note,  and  send  it  to  my 
boose  in  Portman  Square,  just  saying,  '  »So  and  so  is  arrived.' 
This  will  prevent  the  servants  from  obtaining  auy  information 
by  their  prying  curiosity  ;  and  as  I  have  directed  all  my  letters 
to  be  forwarded  to  my  seat  in  Worcestershire,  I  shall  come  up 


112  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

immediately  that  I  receive  it,  and  by  your  putting  the  name 
which  you  mean  to  assume,  I  shall  know  whom  to  ask  for  when 
I  call  at  the  hotel. 

"  Your  affectionate  Uncle, 

"  WlNDERMEAR." 

"  One  thing  is  very  clear,  Timothy,"  said  I,  laying  the  letter 
on  the  table,  "  that  it  cannot  be  intended  for  me." 

"  How  do  you  know,  sir,  that  this  lord  is  not  your  uncle  ?  At 
all  events  you  must  do  as  he  bids  you." 

"  What — go  for  the  papers  !  most  certainly  I  shall  not." 

"  Then  how  in  the  name  of  fortune  do  you  expect  to  find  your 
father,  when  you  will  not  take  advantage  of  such  an  opportu- 
nity of  getting  into  society  ?  It  is  by  getting  possession  of  other 
people's  secrets,  that  you  will  worm  out  your  own." 

"  But  it  is  dishonest,  Timothy." 

"  A  letter  is  addressed  to  you,  in  which  you  have  certain  di- 
rections ;  you  break  the  seal  with  confidence,  and  you  read  what 
you  find  is  possibly  not  for  you  ;  but  depend  upon  it,  Japliet, 
that  a  secret  obtained  is  one  of  the  surest  roads  to  promotion. 
Recollect  your  position  ;  cut  off  from  the  world,  you  have  to 
re-unite  yourself  with  it,  to  recover  your  footing,  and  create  an 
interest.  You  have  not  those  who  love  you  to  help  you — you 
must  not  scruple  to  obtain  your  object  by  fear." 

"  That  is  a  melancholy  truth,  Tim,"  replied  I  ;  "  and  I  believe 
I  must  put  my  strict  morality  in  my  pocket." 

"  Do  sir,  pray,  until  you  can  afford  to  be  moral ;  it's  a  very 
expensive  virtue  that ;  a  deficiency  of  it  made  you  an  outcast 
from  the  world  ;  you  must  not  scruple  at  a  slight  deficiency  011 
your  own  part,  to  regain  your  position." 

There  was  so  much  shrewdness,  so  much  of  the  wisdom  of  the 
serpent  in  the  remarks  of  Timothy,  that,  added  to  my  ardent 
desire  to  discover  my  father,  which  since  my  quitting  the  gipsy 
camp  had  returned  upon  me  with  two-fold  force,  my  scruples 
were  overcome,  and  I  resolved  that  I  would  not  lose  such  an 
opportunity.  Still  I  hesitated,  and  went  up  into  my  room,  that 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  113 

I  might  reflect  upon  what  I  should  do.  I  went  to  bed  revolv- 
ing the  matter  in  my  mind,  and  turning  over  from  one  position 
to  the  other,  at  one  time  deciding  that  1  would  not  take  advan- 
tage of  the  mistake,  at  another  quite  as  resolved  that  I  would 
not  throw  away  such  an  opening  for  the  prosecution  of  my  search  ; 
at  last  I  fell  into  an  uneasy  slumber,  and  had  a  strange  dream. 
I  thought  that  I  was  standing  upon  an  isolated  rock,  with  the 
waters  raging  around  me  ;  the  tide  was  rising,  and  at  last  the 
waves  were  roaring  at  my  feet.  I  was  in  a  state  of  agony,  and 
expected  that,  in  a  short  time,  I  should  be  swallowed  up.  The 
main  land  was  not  far  off,  and  I  perceived  well-dressed  people 
in  crowds,  who  were  enjoying  themselves,  feasting,  dancing,  and 
laughing  in  merry  peals.  1  held  out  my  hands — I  shouted  to 
them — they  saw,  and  heard  me,  but  heeded  me  not.  My  horror 
at  being  swept  away  by  the  tide  was  dreadful.  I  shrieked  as 
the  water  rose.  At  last  I  perceived  something  unroll  itself  from 
the  main  land,  and  gradually  advancing  to  the  island,  formed  a 
bridge  by  which  I  could  walk  over  and  be  saved.  I  was  about 
to  hasten  over,  when  "  Private,  and  no  thoroughfare,"  appeared 
at  the  end  nearest  me,  in  large  letters  of  fire.  I  started  back 
with  amazement,  and  would  not,  dared  not  pass  them.  When 
all  of  a  sodden  a  figure  in  white  appeared  by  my  side,  and  said  to 
me,  pointing  to  the  bridge,  "  Self-preservation  is  the  first  law  of 
nature." 

I  looked  at  the  person  who  addressed  me  ;  gradually  the 
figure  became  darker  and  darker,  until  it  changed  to  Mr.  Co- 
phagus,  with  his  stick  up  to  his  nose.  "  Japhet,  all  nonsense — 
very  good  bridge — um — walk  over — find  father — and  so  on."  I 
dashed  over  the  bridge,  which  appeared  to  float-on  the  water, 
acd  to  be  composed  of  paper,  gained  the  other  side,  and  was 
received  with  shouts  of  congratulation,  and  the  embraces  of  the 
crowd.  1  perceived  an  elderly  gentleman  come  forward  ;  I  knew 
it  was  my  father,  and  I  threw  myself  into  his  arms.  I  awoke, 
and  found  myself  rolling  on  the  floor,  embracing  the  bolster  with 
i.ll  my  might.  Such  was  the  vivid  impression  of  this  dream, 
that  Irouid  not  turn  my  thoughts  away  from  it,  and  at  last  f 


114  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

considered  that  it  was  a  divine  interposition.  All  my  scruples 
vanished,  and  before  the  day  had  dawned  I  determined  that  I 
would  follow  the  advice  of  Timothy.  An  enthusiast  is  easily 
led  to  believe  what  he  wishes,  and  he  mistakes  his  own  feel 
ings  for  warnings  ;  the  dreams  arising  from  his  daily  contem 
plations  for  the  interference  of  Heaven.  He  thinks  himself 
armed  by  supernatural  assistance,  and  warranted  by  the  Al 
mighty  to  pursue  his  course,  even  if  that  course  should  be  con- 
trary to  the  Almighty's  precepts.  Tims  was  I  led  away  by  my 
own  imaginings,  and  thus  was  my  monomania  increased  to  an 
impetus  which  forced  before  it  all  consideration  of  what  was 
right  or  wrong. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

AN  IMPORTANT  CHAPTER — I  MAKE  SOME  IMPORTANT  ACQUAINTANCES, 
OBTAIN  SOME  IMPORTANT  PAPERS,  WHICH  I  AM  IMPORTUNATE  TO 
READ  THROUGH. 

THE  next  morning  I  told  my  dream  to  Timothy,  who  laughed 
very  heartily  at  my  idea  of  the  finger  of  Providence.  At  last, 
perceiving  that  I  was  angry  with  him,  he  pretended  to  be  con- 
vinced. When  I  had  finished  my  breakfast,  I  sent  to  inquire 
the  number  in  the  square  of  Lord  Windermear's  town  hjuse. 
and  wrote  the  following  simple  note  to  his  lordship,  "Japlui 
Newland  has  arrived  from  his  tour  at  the  Piazza,  Coven-1; 
Grarden."  This  was  confided  to  Timothy,  and  I  then  set  off 
with  the  other  letter  to  Mr.  Masterton,  which  was  addresse«- 
to  Lincoln's  Inn.  By  reading  the  addresses  of  the  several  legal 
gentlemen,  I  found  out  that  Mr.  Masterton  was  located  on  the 
first  floor.  I  rang  the  bell,  which  had  the  effect  of  "  Open, 
Sesame,"  as  the  door  appeared  to  swing  to  admit  me  withe  at 
any  assistance.  I  entered  an  ante-room,  and  from  thence  fouuii 
myself  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Masterton — a  little  old  man.  with 


JAPHET,  IN  SEAECH  OF  A  FATHEB.  118 

spectacles  on  his  nose,  sitting  at  a  table  covered  with  papers. 
He  offered  me  a  chair,  and  I  presented  the  letter. 

"  I  see  that  I  am  addressing  Mr.  Neville,"  said  he,  after  he 
had  perused  the  letter.  "  1  congratulate  you  on  your  return. 
You  may  not,  perhaps,  remember  me  ?" 

"  Indeed,  sir,  I  cannot  say  that  I  do  exactly." 

44 1  could  not  expect  it,  my  dear  sir,  you  have  been  so  long 
away.  You  have  very  much  improved  in  person,  I  must  say, 
yet  still  I  recollect  your  features  as  a  mere  boy.  Without 
compliment,  I  had  no  idea  that  you  would  ever  have  made  so 
handsome  a  man."  I  bowed  to  the  compliment.  "  Have  you 
heard  from  your  uncle  ?" 

"  I  had  a  few  lines  from  Lord  Windermear,  inclosing  your 
letter." 

"  He  is  well,  I  hope." 

4'  Quite  well,  I  believe." 

Mr.  Masterton  then  rose,  went  to  an  iron  safe,  and  brought 
out  a  packet  of  papers,  which  he  put  into  ray  hands.  "  You 
will  read  these  with  interest,  Mr.  Neville.  I  am  a  party  to  the 
whole  transaction,  and  must  venture  to  advise  you  not  to 
appear  in  England  under  your  own  name,  until  all  is  settled. 
Your  uncle,  I  perceive,  has  begged  the  same." 

*4  And  I  have  assented,  sir.     I  have  taken  a  name  instead  of 
my  real  one." 

"May  I  ask  what  it  is?" 

44 1  call  myself  Mr.  Japhet  Newland."  *' 

44  Well,  it  is  singular,  but  perhaps  as  good  as  any  other.  I 
will  take  it  down,  in  case  I  have  to  write  to  you.  Your 
address  is " 

44  Piazza — Covent  Garden." 

Mr.  Masterton  took  my  name  and  address,  I  took  tlio 
papers,  and  then  we  both  took  leave  of  one  another,  with  many 
expressions  of  pleasure  and  good  will. 

I  returned  to  the  hotel,  where  I  found  Timothy  waiting  for 
me,  with  impatience.  "  Japhet,"  said  he,  44  Lord  Windermear 
has  not  yet  left  town.  I  have  seen  him,  for  I  was  called  back 


116  JAPHET,  IN  SEABOn  OF  A  FATHER. 

after  I  left  the  house,  by  the  footman,  who  ran  after  me — he 
will  be  here  immediately." 

"  Indeed,"  replied  L  "  Pray  what  sort  of  a  person  is  he,  and 
what  did  he  say  to  you  ?" 

"He  sent  for  me  m  the  dining-parlour,  where  he  was  at 
breakfast,  asked  when  you  arrived,  whether  you  were  well,  and 
how  long  I  had  been  in  your  service.  I  replied  that  I  bad  not 
been  more  than  two  days,  and  had  just  put  on  my  liveries.  He 
then  desired  me  to  tell  Mr.  Newland  that  he  would  call  upon 
him  in  about  two  hours.  Then,  my  lord,"  replied  I,  UI  had 
better  go  and  tell  him  to  get  out  of  bed." 

"The  lazy  dog!"  said  he,  "nearly  one  o'clock,  and  not 
out  of  bed;  well,  go  then,  and  get  him  dressed  as  fast  as  you 
can." 

Shortly  afterwards,  a  handsome  carriage  with  greys  drew  up 
to  the  door.  His  lordship  sent  in  his  footman  to  ask  whether 
Mr.  Newland  was.  at  home.  The  reply  of  the  waiter  was,  that 
there  was  a  young  gentleman  who  had  been  there  two  or  three 
days,  who  had  come  from  making  a  tour,  and  his  name  did 
begin  with  an  N.  "  That  will  do,  James ;  let  down  the  steps." 
His  lordship  alighted,  was  ushered  up  stairs,  and  into  my  room. 
There  we  stood,  staring  at  each  other. 

"  Lord  Windermear,  I  believe,"  said  I,  extending  my  band. 

"  You  have  recognised  me  first,  John,"  said  he,  taking  my 
hand,  and  looking  earnestly  in  my  face.  "Good  heavens!  is  it 
possible  that  an  awkward  boy  should  have  grown  up  into  so 
handsome  a  fellow  ?  I  shall  be  proud  of  my  nephew.  Did  yon 
remember  me  when  I  entered  the  room  ?" 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  my  lord,  I  did  not,  but  expecting  you,  I 
took  it  for  granted  that  it  must  be  you." 

"  Nine  years  make  a  great  difference,  John ; — but  I  forge*, 
I  must  now  call  you  Japhet.  Have  you  been  reading  the  Bibio 
lately,  that  you  fixed  upon  that  strange  name  ?" 

"No,  my  lord;  but  this  hotel  is  such  a  Noah's  ark,  that  it's 
DO  wonder  I  thought  of  it." 

"  You're  an  un dutiful  dog,  not  to  ask  after  your  mother,  sir." 


IAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  Ill 

"  1  was  about " 

"  I  see — I  see,"  interrupted  his  lordship  ;  "  but  recollect, 
John,  that  she  still  is  your  mothr.  By-the-by,  have  you  read 
the  papers  yet  ?" 

"No,  sir,"  replied  I ;  "  there  they  are,"  pointing  to  them  on 
the  side  table.  "  I  really  do  not  like  to  break  the  seals." 

"  That  they  will  not  contain  pleasant  intelligence,  I  admit," 
replied  his  lordship  ;  "  but  until  you  have  read  them,  I  do  not 
wish  to  converse  with  you  on  the  subject,  therefore,"  said  he, 
taking  up  the  packet,  and  breaking  the  seals,  "  I  must  no'y 
insist  that  you  employ  this  forenoon  in  reading  them  through. 
You  will  dine  with  me  at  seven,  and  then  we  will  talk  the 
natter  over." 

"  Certainly,  sir,  if  yon  wish  it,  I  will  read  them." 

"  J  must  insist  upon  it,  John  ;  and  am  rather  surprised  at 
Kur  objecting,  when  they  concern  you  so  particularly." 

'•  I  shall  obey  your  orders,  sir." 

"  Well,  then,  my  boy,  I  shall  wish  you  good  morning,  that 
yo"  may  complete  your  task  before  you  come  to  dinner.  To- 
morrow, if  you  wish  it — but  recollect  I  never  press  young  men 
on  these  points,  as  I  am  aware  that  they  sometimes  feel  it  a 
restraint — if  you  wish  it,  I  say,  you  may  bring  your  portman- 
teaus, and  take  up  your  quarters  with  me.  By-the-by,"  con- 
tinued his  lordship,  taking  hold  of  my  coat,  "who  made 
this  ?" 

"  The  tailor  to  his  Serene  Highness  the  Prince  of  Darmstadt 
had  that  honour,  my  lord,"  replied  I. 

"  Humph  !  I  thought  they  fitted  better  in  Germany;  it's  not 
quite  the  thing — we  must  consult  Stulz,  for  with  that  figure 
and  face,  the  coat  ought  to  be  quite  correct.  Adieu,  my  dear 
fellow,  till  seven." 

His  Lordship  shook  hands  with  me,  and  I  was  left  alone. 
Tiwotby  came  in  as  soon  as  his  lordship's  carriage  had  driwu 
off.  "  Well,  sir,"  said  he,  "  was  your  uncle  glad  to  see  you  ?" 

"Yes,"  replied  I;  "and  look,  he  has  broken  open  the  s»:als, 
and  has  insisted  upon  my  reading  the  papers." 


I  1 8  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  It  would  be  very  undutiful  in  you  to  refuse,  so  I  had  better 
leave  you  to  your  task,"  said  Timothy,  smiling,  as  he  quitted 
the  room. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

OPEN    AN     ACCOUNT   WITH     MY    BANKERS,    DRAW    LARGELY    UPON 
CREDULITY,  AND  AM  PROSPEROUS  WITHOUT  A  CHECK. 

I  SAT  down  and  took  up  the  papers.  I  was  immediately  and 
strangely  interested  in  all  that  I  read.  A  secret ! — it  was,  in- 
deed, a  secret,  involving  the  honour  and  reputation  of  the  most 
distinguished  families.  One  that,  if  known,  the  trumpet  of 
scandal  would  have  blazoned  forth  to  the  disgrace  of  the  aris- 
tocracy. It  would  have  occasioned  bitter  tears  to  some,  grati- 
fied the  petty  malice  of  many,  satisfied  the  revenge  of  the  vin- 
dictive, and  bowed  with  shame  the  innocent  as  well  as  the 
guilty.  It  is  not  necessary,  nor,  indeed,  W3uld  I,  on  any  a«roo  int, 
state  any  more.  I  finished  the  last  paper,  and  then  fell  into 
a  reverie.  This  is,  indeed,  a  secret,  thought  I ;  one  that  I  would 
I  never  had  possessed.  In  a  despotic  country  my  life  would  be 
sacrificed  to  the  fatal  knowledge — here,  thank  God,  my  life  as 
well  as  my  liberty  are  safe. 

The  contents  of  the  papers  told  me  all  that  was  necessary  to 
enable  me  to  support  the  character  which  I  had  assumed.  The 
reason  why  the  party,  whom  I  was  supposed  to  be,  was  in- 
trusted with  it,  was,  that  he  was  in  a  direct  line,  eventually 
heir,  and  the  question  was,  whether  he  would  waive  his  claim 
with  the  others,  and  allow  death  to  bury  crime  in  oblivion.  I 
felt  that  were  I  in  his  position  I  should  so  do — and  tbero,f">re 
was  prepared  to  give  an  answer  to  his  lordship.  I  sealed  up 
the  papers,  dressed  myself,  and  went  to  dinner;  and  after  t'x° 
cloth  was  removed,  Lord  Windermear,  first  rising  and  turning 
the  key  in  the  door,  said  to  me  in  a  low  voice,  "  You  have  read 
the  papers,  and  what  those,  nearly  as  much  interested  as  you 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  119 

are  in  this  lamentable  business,  have  decided  upon.  Tell  me, 
what  is  your  opinion  ?" 

"  My  opinion,  my  lord,  is,  that  I  wish  I  had  never  known 
what  has  come  to  light  this  day — that  it  will  be  most  advisable 
never  to  recur  to  the  subject,  and  that  the  proposals  made  aie, 
in  my  opinion,  most  judicious,  and  should  be  acted  upon." 

"  That  is  well,"  replied  his  lordship;  "then  all  are  agreed, 
and  I  am  proud  to  find  you  possessed  of  such  honour  and  good 
feeling.  We  now  drop  the  subject  for  ever.  Are  you  inclined 
to  leave  town  with  me,  or  what  do  you  intend  to  do  ?" 

"  I  prefer  remaining  in  town,  if  your  lordship  will  introduce 
me  to  some  of  the  families  of  your  acquaintance.  Of  course  I 
know  no  one  now." 

"  Very  true;  I  will  introduce  you,  as  agreed,  as  Mr.  New- 
land.  It  may  be  as  well  that  you  do  not  know  any  of  our 
relations,  whom  I  have  made  to  suppose  that  you  are  still 
abroad — and  it  would  be  awkward  when  you  take  your  right 
name  by-and-by.  Do  you  mean  to  see  your  mother  ?" 

"Impossible,  my  lord,  at  present;  by-and-by  I  hope  to  be 
able." 

"  Perhaps  it's  all  for  the  best.  I  will  now  write  one  note 
to  Major  Carbonnell,  introducing  you  as  my  particular  friend, 
and  requesting  that  he  will  make  London  agreeable.  He  knows 
every  body,  and  will  take  you  every  where." 

"  When  does  your  lordship  start  for  the  country  ?" 

"  To-morrow  ;  so  we  may  as  well  part  to-night.  By-the-by, 
you  have  credit  at  Drummond's,  in  the  name  of  Newland, 
for  a  thousand  pounds  ;  the  longer  you  make  it  last  you  the 
better." 

His  lordship  gave  me  the  letter  of  introduction.  I  returned 
tc  him  the  sealed  packet,  shook  hands  with  him,  and  took  my 
departure. 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Timothy,  rubbing  his  hands,  as  he  stood 
before  ine,  "  what  is  the  news  ;  for  I  am  dying  to  hear  it — and 
what  is  the  seci  et  ?" 

"  With  regard  to  the  secret,  Tim,  a  secret  it  must  remain.    1 


120  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A   FATHER. 

dare  not  tell  it  even  to  you."  Timothy  looked  rather  grave  at 
this  reply.  "  No,  Timothy,  as  a  man  of  honour,  I  cannot." 
My  conscience  smote  me  when  I  made  use  of  the  term  ;  for,  as 
a  man  of  honour,  I  had  no  business  to  be  in  possession  of  it. 
"  My  dear  Timothy,  I  have  done  wrong  already,  do  not  ask  me 
to  do  worse." 

"  I  will  not,  Japhet ;  but  only  tell  me  what  has  passed,  and 
*  hat  you  intend  to  do  ?" 

"  That  I  will,  Timothy,  with  pleasure  ;"  and  I  then  stated  all 
that  had  passed  between  his  lordship  and  me.  "  And  now,  you 
observe,  Timothy,  I  have  gained  what  I  desired,  an  introduction 
into  the  best  society." 

"  And  the  means  of  keeping  up  your  appearance,"  echoed 
Timothy,  rubbing  his  hands.  "  A  thousand  pounds  will  last  a 
long  while." 

"  It  will  last  a  very  long  while,  Tim,  for  I  never  will  touch 
it ;  it  would  be  swindling." 

"  So  it  would,"  replied  Tim,  his  countenance  falling  ;  "  well, 
I  never  thought  of  that." 

"  I  have  thought  of  much  more,  Tim  ;  recollect  I  must,  in  a 
very  short  time,  be  exposed  to  Lord  Windennear,  for  the  real 
Mr.  Neville  will  soon  come  home." 

"  Good  heavens  1  what  will  become  of  us  ?"  replied  Timothy, 
with  alarm  in  his  countenance. 

"  Nothing  can  hurt  you,  Tim,  the  anger  will  be  all  upon 
me  ;  but  I  am  prepared  to  face  it,  and  I  would  face  twice 
as  much  for  the  distant  hope  of  finding  my  father.  What- 
ever Lord  Windennear  may  feel  inclined  to  do,  he  can  do 
nothing  ;  and  my  possession  of  the  secret  will  insure  even 
more  than  my  safety  ;  it  will  afford  me  his  protection,  if  I 
demand  it." 

"  I  hope  it  may  prove  so,"  replied  Timothy,  "  but  T  feel 
a  little  frightened." 

"  I  do  not :  to-morrow  I  shall  give  my  letter  of  introduction, 
and  then  I  will  prosecute  my  search.  So  now,  my  dear  Tim, 
good  night." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  121 

The  next  morning,  I  lost  no  time  in  presenting  my  letter  of 
introduction  to  Major  Carbonnell.  He  lived  in  apartments  on 
the  first  floor  in  St.  James's  Street,  and  I  found  him  at  break- 
fast, in  a  silk  dressing  gown.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  a 
little  independence  always  carries  with  it  an  air  of  fashion. 
When  I  entered,  therefore,  I  looked  at  him  with  a  knowing  air, 
and  dropping  the  letter  down  on  the  table  before  him,  said, 
"  There's  something  for  you  to  read,  major  ;  and,  in  the  mean 
time,  I'll  refresh  myself  on  this  chair ;"  suiting  the  action  to  the 
word,  I  threw  myself  on  a  chair,  amusing  myself  with  tapping 
the  sides  of  my  boots  with  a  small  cane  which  I  carried  in  my 
hand. 

Major  Carbonnell,  upon  whom  I  cast  a  furtive  eye  more 
than  once  during  the  time  that  he  was  reading  the  letter,  was  a 
person  of  about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  well-looking,  but 
disfigured  by  the  size  of  his  whiskers,  which  advanced  to  the 
corners  of  his  mouth,  and  met  under  his  throat.  He  was  tall 
and  well  made,  and  with  an  air  of  fashion  about  him  that  WPS 
undeniable.  His  linen  was  beautifully  clean  and  carefully 
arranged,  and  he  had  as  many  rings  on  his  fingers,  and,  when 
he  was  dressed,  chains  and  trinkets,  as  ever  were  put  on  by  a 
lady. 

"  My  dear  sir,  allow  me  the  honour  of  making  at  once 
your  most  intimate  acquaintance,"  said  he,  rising  from  his  chair, 
and  offering  his  hand,  as  soon  as  he  had  perused  the  letter. 
"Any  friend  of  Lord  Windermear's  would  be  welcome,  but 
when  he  brings  such  an  extra  recommendation  in  his  own 
apj)earance,  he  becomes  doubly  so." 

"  Major  Carbonnell,"  replied  I,  "  I  have  seen  you  but  two 
minutes,  and  I  have  taken  a  particular  fancy  to  you,  in  which 
I,  no  doubt,  have  proved  my  discrimination.  Of  course,  you 
kcow  that  I  have  just  returned  from  making  a  tour." 

11  So  I  understand  from  his  lordship's  letter.  Mr.  Newland, 
ray  time  is  rt  your  service.  Where  are  you  staying?" 

"At  the  Piazza." 

"  Very  good  ;  I  will  dine  with  you  to  day  ;  order  some  mid- 

ft 


122  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER 

ligatawny,  they  are  famous  for  it.  After  dinner  we  will  go  to 
the  theatre." 

I  was  rather  surprised  at  his  cool  manner  of  asking  himself  to 
dine  with  me  and  ordering  my  dinner,  but  a  moment's  reflection 
made  me  feel  what  sort  of  person  I  had  to  deal  with. 

"  Major,  I  take  that  almost  as  an  affront.  You  will  dine 
urith  me  today !  I  beg  to  state  that  you  must  dine  with  me 
every  day  that  we  are  not  invited  elsewhere  ;  and  what's  more, 
sir,  I  shall  be  most  seriously  displeased,  if  you  do  not  order  the 
dinner  every  time  that  you  do  dine  with  me,  and  ask  whoever 
you  may  think  worthy  of  putting  their  legs  under  our  table. 
Let's  have  no  doing  things  by  halves,  major  ;  I  know  you  now 
as  well  as  if  we  had  been  intimate  for  ten  years." 

The  major  seized  me  by  the  hand.  "  My  dear  Newland,  I 
only  wish  we  had  known  one  another  ten  years,  as  you  say — the 
loss  has  been  mine  ;  but  now — you  have  breakfasted,  I  pre- 
sume ?" 

"  Yes  1  having  nothing  to  do,  and  not  knowing  a  soul  after 
my  long  absence,  I  advanced  my  breakfast  about  two  hours, 
that  I  might  find  you  at  home  ;  and  now  I'm  at  your  service." 

"  Say  rather  I  am  at  yours.  I  presume  you  will  walk.  In 
ten  minutes  I  shall  be  ready.  Either  take  up  the  paper,  or 
whistle  an  air  or  two,  or  any  thing  else  you  like,  just  to  kill  ten 
minutes — and  I  shall  be  at  your  command." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

I  C01CE  OUT  UNDER  A  FIRST-RATE  CHAPERON,  AND  AT  ONCE  AM 
ESTABLISHED  INTO  THE  REGIONS  OF  FASHION — PROVE  THAT  I 
AM  DESERVING  OF  MY  PROMOTION. 

"  I  BEG  your  pardon,  Newland,"  said  the  major,  re  taming  from 
his  dressing-room,  resplendent  with  chains  and  bijouterie  ;  ''but 
I  must  have  your  Christian  name." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER.          123 

"  It's  rather  a  strange  one,"  replied  I  ;  "it  is  Japhet." 

"  Japhet  1  by  the  immortal  powers,  I'd  bring  an  action 
against  my  godfathers  and  godmothers  ;  you  ought  to  recover 
heavy  damages." 

"  Then  I  presume  you  would  not  have  the  name,"  replied  I, 
with  a  knowing  look,  "  for  a  clear  ten  thousand  a  year." 

"  Whew  !  that  alters  the  case — it's  astonishing  haw  well  any 
name  looks  in  large  gold  letters.  Well,  as  the  old  gentleman, 
whoever  he  might  have  been,  made  you  compensation,  you  must 
forgive  and  forget.  Now  where  shall  we  go  ?" 

"  With  your  permission,  as  I  came  to  town  in  these  clothes, 
made  by  a  German  tailor — Darmstadt's  tailor,  by-the-by — but 
still  if  tailor  to  a  prince,  not  the  prince  of  tailors — I  would  wish 
you  to  take  me  to  your  own  :  your  dress  appears  very  correct.'' 

"  You  show  your  judgment,  Newland,  it  is  correct  ;  Stulz 
will  be  delighted  to  have  your  name  on  his  books,  and  to  do  jus- 
tice to  that  figure.  Allans  done." 

We  sauntered  up  St.  James's  Street,  and  before  I  had  arrived 
at  Stulz's,  I  had  been  introduced  to  at  least  twenty  of  the 
young  men  about  town.  The  major  was  most  particular  in  his 
directions  about  the  clothes,  all  of  which  he  ordered  ;  and  at  I 
knew  that  he  was  well  acquainted  with  the  fashion,  I  gave  hiin 
carte  blanche.  When  we  left  the  shop,  he  said,  "  Now,  my  dear 
Newland,  I  have  given  you  a  proof  of  friendship,  which  no  other 
man  in  England  has  had.  Your  dress  will  be  the  ne  plus  ultra. 
There  are  little  secrets  only  known  to  the  initiated,  and  Stulz 
is  aware  that  this  time  I  am  in  earnest.  I  am  often  asked  to 
do  the  same  for  others,  and  I  pretend  so  to  do  ;  but  a  wink 
from  me  is  sufficient,  and  Stulz  dares  not  dress  them.  Don't 
you  want  some  bijouterie  ?  or  have  you  any  at  home  ?" 

"  I  may  as  well  have  a  few  trifles,"  replied  I. 

We  entered  a  celebrated  jeweller's,  and  he  selected  for  me  to 
tne  amount  of  about  forty  pounds.  "  That  will  do — never  buy 
much  ;  for  it  is  necessary  to  change  every  three  mouths  at 
least.  What  is  the  price  of  this  chain  ?" 

"  It  is  only  fifteen  guineas,  major." 


124  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Well,  I  shall  take  it ;  but  recollect,"  continued  the  major 
"I  tell  you  honestly  I  never  shall  pay  you." 

The  jeweller  smiled,  bowed,  and  laughed  ;  the  major  threw 
the  chain  round  his  neck,  and  we  quitted  the  shop. 

"  At  all  events,  major,  they  appear  not  to  believe  your  word 
in  that  shop." 

"  My  dear  fellow,  that's  their  own  fault,  not  mine.  I  tell 
them  honestly  I  never  will  pay  them  ;  and  you  may  depend 
upon  it,  I  intend  most  sacredly  to  keep  my  word.  I  never  do 
pay  any  body,  for  the  best  of  all  possible  reasons,  I  have  no 
money  ;  but  then  I  do  them  a  service — I  make  them  fashionable, 
and  they  know  it." 

"  What  debts  do  you  pay  then,  major  1" 

"  Let  me  think — that  requires  consideration.  Oh  1  I  pay  my 
washerwoman." 

"  Don't  you  pay  your  debts  of  honour  ?" 

"  Debts  of  honour  !  why  I'll  tell  you  the  truth  ;  for  I  know 
that  we  shall  hunt  hi  couples.  If  I  win  I  take  the  money  ;  but 
if  I  lose — why  then  I  forget  to  pay  ;  and  I  always  tell  them  so 
before  I  sit  down  to  the  table.  If  they  won't  believe  me,  it's 
not  my  fault.  But  what's  the  hour  ?  Come,  I  must  make  a 
few  calls,  and  will  introduce  you." 

We  sauntered  on  to  Grosvenor  Square,  knocked,  and  were 
admitted  into  a  large,  elegantly-furnished  mansion.  The  foot- 
man announced  us — "  My  dear  Lady  Maelstrom,  allow  me  the 
honour  of  introducing  to  you  my  very  particular  friend,  Mr. 
Newland,  consigned  to  my  charge  by  my  Lord  Windermear 
during  his  absence.  He  has  just  arrived  from  the  Continent, 
where  he  has  been  making  the  grand  tour." 

Her  ladyship  honoured  me  with  a  smile.  "  By-the-by,  major, 
that  reminds  me — do  me  the  favour  to  come  to  the  window 
Excuse  us  one  moment,  Mr.  Newland." 

The  major  and  Lady  Maelstrom  walked  to  the  window,  and 
exchanged  a  few  sentences,  and  then  returned.  Her  ladyship 
holding  up  her  finger,  and  saying  to  him  as  they  came  towards 
me,  "  Promise  me  now  that  you  won't  forget." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  125 

"  Your  ladyship's  slightest  wishes  are  to  me  imperative  jom- 
ruands,"  replied  the  major,  with  a  graceful  bow. 

In  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  during  which  the  conversation  was 
animated,  we  rose  to  take  our  leave,  when  her  ladyship  came 
np  to  me,  and  offering  her  hand  said,  "Mr.  Newland,  the 
friendship  of  Lord  Wmdermear,  and  the  introduction  of  Major 
Carbonnell,  are  more  than  sufficient  to  induce  me  to  put  your 
name  down  on  my  visiting  list.  I  trust  I  shall  see  a  great  deal 
of  you,  and  that  we  shall  be  great  friends." 

I  bowed  to  this  handsome  announcement,  and  we  retired. 
As  soon  as  we  were  out  in  the  square,  the  major  observed, 
"  You  saw  her  take  me  on  one  side — it  was  to  pump.  She  has 
no  daughters,  but  about  fifty  nieces,  and  match-making  is  her 
delight.  1  told  her  that  I  would  stake  my  honour  upon  your 
possessing  ten  thousand  a  year  ;  how  much  more  I  could  not 
say.  I  was  not  far  wrong,  was  I  ?" 

I  laughed.  "  What  I  may  be  worth,  major,  I  really  cannot 
say  ;  but  I  trust  that  the  event  will  prove  that  you  are  not 
far  wrong.  Say  no  more,  my  dear  fellow." 

"  I  understand — you  are  not  yet  of  age — of  course,  have  not 
yet  come  into  possession  of  your  fortune." 

"  That  is  exactly  the  case,  major.  I  am  now  but  little  more 
than  nineteen." 

You  look  older  ;  but  there  is  no  getting  over  baptismal 
registries  with  the  executors.  Newland,  you  must  content 
yourself  for  the  two  next  years  in  playing  Moses,  and  only  peep 
at  the  promised  land." 

We  made  two  or  three  more  calls,  and  then  returned  to  St. 
James's  Street.  "  Where  shall  we  go  now  ?  By-the-by,  don't 
you  want  to  go  to  your  banker's  ?" 

"  I  will  just  stroll  down  with  you,  and  see  if  they  have  paid 
any  money  in,"  replied  I,  carelessly. 

We  called  at  Drummond's,  and  I  asked  them  if  there  was  any 
money  paid  in  to  the  credit  of  Mr.  Newland. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  one  of  the  clerks  :  "  there  is  one  thousand 
pounds  paid  in  yesterday." 


126  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Very  good,"  replied  I. 

"  How  much  do  you  wish  to  draw  for  ?"  inquired  the  major. 

"  I  don't  want  any,"  replied  I.  "I  have  more  money  than  I 
ought  to  have  in  my  desk  at  this  moment." 

"  Well,  then,  let  us  go  and  order  dinner  :  or  perhaps  you 
would  like  to  stroll  about  a  little  more  :  if  so,  I  will  go  and 
order  the  dinner.  Here's  Harcourt,  that's  lucky.  Harcourt, 
my  dear  fellow,  know  Mr.  Newland,  my  very  particular  friend. 
I  must  leave  you  now  ;  take  his  arm,  Harcourt,  for  half  an  hour, 
and  then  join  us  at  dinner  at  the  Piazza." 

Mr.  Harcourt  was  an  elegant  young  man  of  about  five-and- 
twenty.  Equally  pleased  with  each  other's  externals,  we  were 
soon  familiar  :  he  was  witty,  sarcastic,  and  well-bred.  After 
half  an  hour's  conversation  he  asked  me  what  I  thought  of  the 
major.  I  looked  him  in  the  face  and  smiled.  "  That  look  tells 
me  that  you  will  not  be  his  dupe,  otherwise  I  had  warned  you  : 
he  is  a  strange  character  ;  but  if  you  have  money  enough  to 
afford  to  keep  him,  you  cannot  do  better,  as  he  is  acquainted 
with,  and  received  by,  everybody.  His  connections  are  good  ; 
and  he  once  had  a  very  handsome  fortune,  but  it  was  soon  run 
out,  and  he  was  obliged  to  sell  his  commission  in  the  Guards. 
Now  he  lives  upon  the  world  ;  which,  as  Shakspeare  says,  is 
his  oyster  ;  and  he  has  wit  and  sharpness  enough  to  open  it. 
Moreover,  he  has  some  chance  of  falling  into  a  peerage  ;  that 
prospect,  and  his  amusing  qualities,  added  to  his  being  the 
most  fashionable  man  about  town,  keeps  his  head  above  water. 
I  believe  Lord  Windermear,  who  is  his  cousin,  very  often  helps 
him." 

"  It  was  Lord  Windermear  who  introduced  me  to  him,"  ob- 
served I. 

"  Then  he  will  not  venture  to  play  any  tricks  upou  you,  fur- 
ther than  eating  your  dinners,  borrowing  your  money,  and  for- 
getting to  pay  it." 

"  You  must  acknowledge,"  said  I.  "  he  always  tells  you  bo- 
forehand  that  he  never  will  pay  you.7' 

"And  that  is  the  only  point  in  which  he  adheres  to  hia 


JAPHET,  IN  SEAKCH  OF  A  FATHER.          127 

word,"  replied  Harcourt,  laughing  ;  "  but,  tell  me,  am  I  to  be 
your  guest  to-day  ?" 

"  If  you  will  do  me  that  honour." 

"  I  assure  you  I  am  delighted  to  come,  as  I  shall  have  a  fur- 
ther opportunity  of  cultivating  your  acquaintance." 

"  Then  we  had  better  bend  our  steps  towards  the  hotel,  for 
it  is  late,'  replied  I ;  and  we  did  so  accordingly. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

THE  REAL  SIMON  PURE  PROVES  THE  WORSE  OF  THE  TWO 1  AM  FOUND 

GUILTY,  BUT  NOT  CONDEMNED  ;  CONVICTED,  YET  CONVINCE  J  AND 
AFTER  HAVING  BEHAVED  THE  VERY  CONTRARY  TO,  PROVE  THAT  I 
AM,  A  GENTLEMAN. 

ON  our  arrival,  we  found  the  table  spread,  champagne  iu 
ice  under  the  sideboard,  and  apparently  every  thing  pre- 
pared for  a  sumptuous  dinner,  the  major  on  the  sofa  giving 
directions  to  the  waiter,  and  Timothy  looking  all  astonishment. 

"  Major,"  said  I,  "  I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  I  am  obliged 
to  you  for  your  kindness  iu  taking  all  this  trouble  off  my 
hands,  that  I  might  follow  up  the  agreeable  introduction  you 
have  given  me  to  Mr.  Harcourt." 

"  My  dear  Kewland,  say  no  more  ;  you  will,  I  dare  say,  do 
the  same  for  me  if  I  require  it,  when  I  give  a  dinner.  (Har- 
court caught  my  eye,  as  if  to  say,  "  You  may  safely  promise 
that.")  But,  Newland,  do  you  know  that  the  nephew  of  Lord 
Windermear  has  just  arrived  ?  Did  you  meet  abroad  ?" 

"  No,"  replied  I,  somewhat  confused  ;  but  I  soon  recovered 
myself.  As  for  Tim,  he  bolted  out  of  the  room.  "  What  sort 
of  a  person  is  he  ?" 

"  That  you  may  judge  for  yourself,  my  dear  fellow,  for  I 
asked  him  to  join  us,  I  must  say,  more  out  of  compliment  to 
Lord  Windermear  than  anything  else  ;  for  I  am  afraid  that 


128  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  4  FATHER. 

even  I  could  never  make  a  gentleman  of  him.  But  take 
Harcourt  with  you  to  your  room,  and  by  the  time  you  have 
washed  your  hands,  I  will  have  dinner  on  the  table.  I  took 
the  liberty  of  desiring  your  valet  to  show  me  in  about  ten 
minutes  ago.  He's  a  shrewd  fellow  that  of  yours — where  did 
you  pick  him  up  ?" 

"  By  mere  accident,"  replied  I :  "  come,  Mr.  Harcourt." 

On  our  return,  we  found  the  real  Simon  Pure,  Mr.  Estcourt, 
sitting  with  the  major,  who  introduced  us,  and  dinner  being 
served,  we  sat  down  to  table. 

Mr.  Estcourt  was  a  young  man,  about  my  own  age,  but  not 
so  tall  by  two  or  three  inches.  His  features  were  prominent, 
but  harsh  ;  and  when  I  saw  him,  I  was  not  at  all  surprised  at 
Lord  Windermear's  expressions  of  satisfaction,  when  he  sup- 
posed that  I  was  his  nephew.  His  countenance  was  dogged  and 
sullen,  and  he  spoke  little  :  he  appeared  to  place  an  immense 
value  upon  birth,  and  hardly  deigned  to  listen,  except  the 
aristocracy  were  the  subject  of  discourse.  I  treated  him  with 
marked  deference,  that  I  might  form  an  acquaintance,  and 
found  before  we  parted  that  night,  that  I  had  succeeded.  Our 
dinner  was  excellent,  and  we  were  all,  except  Mr.  Estcourt,  in 
high  good  humour.  We  sat  late — too  late  to  go  to  the  theatre, 
and  promising  to  meet  the  next  day  at  noon,  Harcourt  and  the 
major  took  their  leave. 

Mr.  Estcourt  had  indulged  rather  too  much,  and,  after  their 
departure,  became  communicative.  I  plied  the  bottle,  and  we  sat 
up  for  more  than  an  hour  ;  he  talked  of  nothing  but  his  family 
and  expectations.  I  took  this  opportunity  of  discovering  what 
his  feelings  were  likely  to  be  when  he  was  made  acquainted  with 
the  important  secret  which  was  in  my  possession.  I  put  a  case 
somewhat  similar,  and  asked  him  whether  in  such  circumstances 
he  would  waive  his  right  for  a  tune,  to  save  the  honour  of  his 
family. 

"  No,  by  G d  !"  replied  he,  "  I  never  would.  What  1 

give  up  even  for  a  day  my  right — conceal  my  true  rani  for  the 
sake  of  relatives  ?  never — nothing  would  induce  me." 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  129 

I  was  satisfied,  and  then  casually  asked  him  if  he  had  written 
to  Lord  Windermear  to  inform  him  of  his  arrival. 

"  No,"  replied  he  ;  "I  shall  write  to-morrow."  He  soon 
after  retired  to  his  own  apartment,  and  I  rang  for  Timothy. 

"  Good  heavens,  sir,"  cried  Timothy,  "  what  is  all  this — and 
what  are  you  about  ?  I  am  frightened  out  of  my  wits.  Why, 
sir,  our  money  will  not  last  two  months." 

"I  do  not  expect  it  will  last  much  longer,  Tim  ;  but  it 
cannot  be  helped.  Into  society  I  must  get — and  to  do  so,  must 
pay  for  it." 

"  But,  sir,  putting  the  expense  aside,  what  are  we  to  do 
about  this  Mr.  Estcourt  ?  All  must  be  found  out." 

"  I  intend  that  it  shall  be  found  out,  Tim,"  replied  I ;  "  but 
not  yet.  He  will  write  to  his  uncle  to-morrow  ;  you  must 
obtain  the  letter,  for  it  must  not  go.  I  must  first  have  time  to 
establish  myself,  and  then  Lord  Windermear  may  find  out  his 
error  as  soon  as  he  pleases." 

"  Upon  my  honour,  Japhet,  you  appear  to  be  afraid  of 
nothing." 

"  I  fear  nothing,  Tun,  when  I  am  following  up  the  object  of 
my  wishes.  I  will  allow  no  obstacles  to  stand  in  my  way,  in 
my  search  after  my  father." 

"  Really,  you  seem  to  be  quite  mad  on  that  point,  Japhet." 

"  Perhaps  I  may  be,  Tim,"  replied  I,  thoughtfully.  "  At  all 
events,  let  us  go  to  bed  now,  and  I  will  tell  you  to-morrow 
morning,  all  the  events  of  this  day." 

Mr.  Estcourt  wrote  his  letter,  which  Tim  very  officiously 
offered  to  put  into  the  post,  instead  of  which  we  put  it  between 
the  bars  of  the  grate. 

I  must  now  pass  over  about  three  weeks,  during  which  1 
became  very  intimate  with  the  major  and  Mr.  Harcourt,  and 
was  introduced  by  them  to  the  clubs,  and  almost  every  percop 
of  fashion.  The  idea  of  my  wealth,  and  my  very  handsome 
person  and  figure,  insured  me  a  warm  reception,  and  I  soon 
became  one  of  the  stars  of  the  day.  During  this  time,  I  also 
gained  the  entire  confidence  of  Mr.  Estcourt,  who  put  letter 


130  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

after  letter  into  the  hands  of  Timothy,  who  of  course  put  thens 
into  the  usual  place.  I  pacified  him  as  long  as  I  could,  by 
expressing  my  opinion,  that  his  lordship  was  on  a  visit  to  soue 
friends  in  the  neighbourhood  of  his  seat ;  but  at  last,  he  would 
remain  in  town  no  longer.  You  may  go  now,  thought  I,  I  feel 
quite  safe. 

It  was  about  five  days  after  his  departure,  as  I  was  saunter 
ing,  arm  in  arm  with  the  major,  who  generally  dined  with  me 
about  five  days  in  the  week,  that  I  perceived  the  carriage  of 
Lord  Windennear,  with  his  lordship  in  it.  He  saw  us,  and 
pulling  his  check-string,  alighted,  and  coming  up  to  us,  with  the 
colour  mounting  to  his  forehead  with  emotion,  returned  the 
salute  of  the  major  and  me. 

"  Major,"  said  he,  "you  will  excuse  me,  but  I  am  anxious  to 
have  some  conversation  with  Mr.  Newland  :  perhaps,"  continued 
his  lordship,  addressing  me,  "  you  will  do  me  the  favour  to  take  a 
seat  in  my  carriage  ?" 

Fully  prepared,  I  lost  none  of  my  self-possession,  but,  thank- 
ing his  lordship,  I  bowed  to  him,  and  stepped  in.  His  lordship 
followed,  and,  saying  to  the  footman,  "  Home — drive  fast,"  fell 
back  in  the  carriage,  and  never  uttered  one  word  until  we  had 
arrived,  and  had  entered  the  dining-parlour.  He  then  took  a 
few  steps  up  and  down,  before  he  said,  "  Mr.  Newland,  or  what- 
ever your  name  may  be,  I  perceive  that  you  consider  the  pos- 
session of  an  important  secret  to  be  your  safeguard.  To  state 
my  opinion  of  your  conduct  is  needless  ;  who  you  are,  and  what 
you  are,  I  know  not  ;  but,"  continued  he,  no  longer  controlling 
his  anger,  "  you  certainly  can  have  no  pretensions  to  the  cha- 
racter of  a  gentleman." 

"  Perhaps  your  lordship,"  replied  I,  calmly,  "  will  inform  me 
npon  what  you  may  ground  your  inference." 

"  Did  you  not,  in  the  first  place,  open  a  letter  addressed  to 
another  ?" 

"  My  lord,  I  opened  a  letter  brought  to  me  with  the  initiate 
of  my  name,  and  at  the  tune  I  opened  it,  I  fully  believed  that  it 
was  intended  for  me." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          131 

"We  will  grant  that,  sir  ;  but  after  you  had  opened  it  yon 
<nust  have  known  that  it  was  for  some  other  person." 

"  I  will  not  deny  that,  my  lord." 

"  Notwithstanding  which,  you  apply  to  my  lawyer,  represent- 
ing yourself  as  another  person,  to  obtain  sealed  papers." 

"  I  did,  my  lord  ;  but  allow  me  to  say,  that  I  never  should 
have  done  so,  had  I  not  been  warned  by  a  dream." 

"  By  a  dream  ?" 

"  Yes,  my  lord.  I  had  determined  not  to  go  for  them,  when 
in  a  dream  I  was  ordered  so  to  do." 

"  Paltry  excuse  !  and  then  you  break  private  seals." 

"  Nay,  my  lord,  although  I  did  go  for  the  papers,  I  could  not, 
even  with  the  idea  of  supernatural  interposition,  make  up  my 
mind  to  break  the  seals.  If  your  lordship  will  recollect,  it  was  you 
who  broke  the  seals,  and  insisted  upon  my  reading  the  papers." 

"  Yes,  sir,  under  your  false  name." 

"  It  is  the  name  by  which  I  go  at  present,  although  I  ac- 
knowledge it  is  false  ;  but  that  is  not  my  fault — I  have  no  other 
at  present." 

"It  is  very  true,  sir,  that  in  all  I  have  now  mentioned  the 
law  will  not  reach  you  :  but  recollect,  that  by  assuming  another 
person's  name n 

"  I  never  did,  my  lord,"  interrupted  I. 

"  Well,  I  may  say,  by  inducing  me  to  believe  that  you  were 
my  nephew,  you  have  obtained  money  under  false  pretences  ; 
and  for  that  I  now  have  you  in  my  power." 

"  My  lord,  I  never  asked  you  for  the  money  ;  you  yourself 
paid  it  into  the  banker's  hands  to  my  credit,  and  to  my  own 
name.  I  appeal  to  you  now,  whether,  if  you  so  deceived  your- 
self, the  law  can  reach  me  ?" 

"  Mr.  Newland,  I  will  say,  that  much  as  I  regret  what  has 
passed,  I  regret  more  than  all  the  rest,  that  one  so  young,  so 
prepossessing,  so  candid  in  appearance,  should  prove  such  an 
adept  in  deceit.  Thinking  you  were  my  nephew,  my  heart 
warmed  towards  you  ;  and  I  must  confess,  that  since  I  have 
seen  my  real  nephew,  the  mortification  has  been  very  great." 


132  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  My  lord,  I  thank  you,  but  allow  me  to  observe,  that  lam 
no  swindler.  Your  thousand  pounds  you  will  find  safe  in  the 
bank,  for  penury  would  not  have  induced  me  to  touch  it.  But 
now  that  your  lordship  appears  more  cool,  will  you  do  tne  the 
favour  to  listen  to  me  ?  When  you  have  heard  my  life  up  to 
the  present,  and  my  motives  for  what  I  have  done,  you  wili 
then  decide  how  for  I  am  to  blame." 

His  lordship  took  a  chair,  and  motioned  to  me  to  take 
another.  I  narrated  what  had  occurred  when  I  was  left  at  the 
Foundling,  and  gave  him  a  succinct  account  of  my  adventures 
subsequently — my  determination  to  find  my  father — the  dream 
which  induced  me  to  go  for  the  papers — and  all  that  the 
reader  has  already  been  acquainted  with.  His  lordship  evi- 
dently perceived  the  monomania  which  controlled  me,  and 
heard  me  with  great  attention. 

"  You  certainly,  Mr.  Newland,  do  not  stand  so  low  in  my 
opinion  as  you  did  before  this  explanation,  and  I  must  make 
allowances  for  the  excitement  under  which  I  perceive  yon  to 
labour  on  one  subject  ;  but  now,  sir,  allow  me  to  put  one 
question,  and  I  beg  that  you  will  answer  candidly.  What 
price  do  you  demand  for  your  secrecy  on  this  important 
subject  ?" 

"  My  lord  !"  replied  I,  rising  with  dignity  ;  "  this  is  the 
greatest  affront  you  have  put  upon  me  as  yet ;  still  I  will  name 
the  price  by  which  I  will  solemnly  bind  myself,  by  all  my  future 
hopes  of  finding  my  father  in  this  world,  and  of  finding  an  eter- 
nal Father  in  the  next,  and  that  price,  my  lord,  is  a  return  of 
your  good  opinion." 

His  lordship  also  rose,  and  walked  up  and  down  the  room 
with  much  agitation  in  his  manner.  "  What  am  I  to  make  of 
you,  Mr.  Newland  ?" 

"  My  lord,  if  I  were  a  swindler,  I  should  have  taken  your 
money ;  if  I  had  wished  to  avail  myself  of  the  secret,  I  might 
have  escaped  with  all  the  documents,  and  made  my  own  terms. 
I  am,  my  lord,  nothing  more  than  an  abandoned  child,  trying 
all  he  can  to  find  his  father."  My  feelings  overpowered  me, 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          133 

and  I  burst  into  tears.  As  soon  as  I  could  recover  myself,  I 
addressed  his  lordship,  who  had  been  watching  me  in  silence, 
and  not  without  emotion.  "  I  have  one  thing  more  to  say  to 
you,  my  lord."  I  then  mentioned  the  conversation  between  Mr. 
Estcourt  aud  myself,  and  pointed  out  the  propriety  of  not 
making  him  a  party  to  the  important  secret. 

His  lordship  allowed  me  to  proceed  without  interruption, 
and  after  a  few  moments'  thought  said,  "  I  believe  that  you 
are  right,  Mr.  Newland  ;  and  I  now  begin  to  think  that  it  was 
better  that  this  secret  should  have  been  intrusted  to  you  than 
to  him.  You  have  now  conferred  an  obligation  on  me,  and 
may  command  me.  I  believe  you  to  be  honest,  but  a  little 
mad,  and  I  beg  your  pardon  for  the  pain  which  I  have  occa- 
sioned you." 

"  My  lord,  I  am  more  than  satisfied." 

"  Can  I' be  of  any  assistance  to  you,  Mr.  Newland  ?" 

"  If,  my  lord,  you  could  at  all  assist  me,  or  direct  me  in  my 
search " 

"  There  I  am  afraid  I  can  be  of  little  use  ;  but  I  will  give 
you  the  means  of  prosecuting  your  search,  and  in  so  doing,  I 
am  doing  but  an  act  of  justice,  for  in  introducing  you  to  Major 
Carbonnell,  I  am  aware  that  I  must  have  very  much  increased 
you  expenses.  It  was  an  error  which  must  be  repaired,  and 
therefore,  Mr  Newland,  I  beg  you  will  consider  the  money  at 
the  bank  as  yours,  and  make  use  of  it  to  enable  you  to  obtain 
your  ardent  wish." 

"  My  lord  - 

"  I  wiL1  not  be  denied,  Mr.  Newland  ;  and  if  you  feel  any 
delicacy  on  tLe  subject,  you  may  take  it  as  a  loan,  to  be  repaid 
when  you  find  it  convenient.  Do  not,  for  a  moment,  consider 
that  it  if  giver  to  yon  because  you  possess  an  important  secret, 
for  I  will  trus*.  entirely  to  your  honour  on  that  score." 

"  Indeed,  my  lord,r  replied  I,  "  your  kindness  overwhelms 
me,  and  I  feel  a?  if,  ic  you  I  had  already  almost  found  a 
father.  Excuse  me.  my  lord,  but  did  your  lordship  ever— 
ever n 


134  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  I  know  what  you  would  say,  my  poor  fellow  :  no,  I  never 
did.  I  never  was  blessed  with  children.  Had  I  been,  I  should 
not  have  felt  that  I  was  disgraced  by  having  one  resembling 
you.  Allow  me  to  entreat  you,  Mr.  Newland,  that  you  do  riot 
suffer  the  mystery  of  your  birth  to  weigh  so  heavily  on  your 
mind  ;  and  now  I  wish  you  good  morning,  and  if  you  think  I 
can  be  useful  to  you,  I  beg  that  you  will  not  fail  to  let  me 
know." 

"  May  Heaven  pour  down  blessings  on  your  head,"  replied  I, 
kissing  respectfully  his  lordship's  hand  ;  "  and  may  my  father, 
when  I  find  him,  be  as  like  unto  you  as  possible.''  I  mads  my 
obeisance,  and  quitted  the  house. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE   MAJOR   PREVENTS   THE   LANDLORD   FROM  IMPOSING  ON  ME,  BUT  I 

GAIN  NOTHING  BY  HIS  INTERFERENCE FOR  ECONOMICAL  REASONS 

I  AGREE  TO  LIVE  WITH  HIM,  THAT  HE  MAY  LIVE  ON  ME. 

I  RETURNED  to  the  hotel,  for  my  mind  had  been  much  agitated, 
and  I  wished  for  quiet,  and  the  friendship  of  Timothy.  AS  soon 
as  I  arrived  I  told  him  all  that  had  passed. 

"  Indeed,"  replied  Timothy,  "  things  do  now  wear  a  pleasant 
aspect ;  for  I  am  afraid,  that  without  that  thousand,  we  could 
not  have  carried  on  for  a  fortnight  longer.  The  bill  here  is 
very  heavy,  and  I'm  sure  the  landlord  wishes  to  see  the  colour 
of  his  money." 

"  How  much  do  you  think  we  have  left  ?  It  is  nigh  time, 
Timothy,  that  we  now  make  up  our  accounts,  and  arrange  some 
plans  for  the  future,"  replied  I.  "  I  have  paid  the  jeweller  and 
the  tailor,  by  the  advice  of  the  major,  who  says,  that  you  -should 
always  pay  your  first  bills  as  soon  as  possible,  and  all  your  subse- 
quent bills  as  late  as  possible  ;  and  if  put  off  sine  die,  so  much 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  135 

the  better     In  fact,  I  owe  very  little  now,  but  the  bill  here — 1 
will  send  for  it  to-night." 

Here  we  were  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of  the  landlord 
"  O,  Mr.  Wallace,  you  are  the  very  person  I  wished  to  see  ;  let 
me  have  my  bill,  if  you  please." 

"  It's  not  of  the  least  consequence,  sir,"  replied  he  ;  "  but  if 
you  wish  it.  I  have  posted  down  to  yesterday,"  and  the  landlord 
left  the  room. 

"  You  were  both  of  one  mind,  at  all  events,"  said  Timothy, 
laughing  :  "for  he  had  the  bill  in  his  hand,  and  concealed  it 
the  moment  you  asked  for  it." 

Ir  about  ten  minutes  the  landlord  re-appeared,  and  present- 
ing the  bill  upon  a  salver,  made  his  bow  and  retired.  I 
looked  it  over  :  it  amounted  to  £104  ;  which,  for  little  more 
than  three  weeks,  was  pretty  well.  Timothy  shrugged  up  his 
shoulders,  while  I  ran  over  the  items.  "I  do  not  see  that 
there  is  any  thing  to  complain  of,  Tim,"  observed  I,  when  I 
came  to  the  bottom  of  it ;  "  but  I  do  see  that  living  here,  with 
the  major  keeping  me  an  open  house,  will  never  do.  Let  us 
pee  bow  much  money  we  have  left." 

Tim  brought  the  dressing-case  in  which  our  cash  was  deposited, 
and  ^e  found,  that  after  paying  the  waiters,  and  a  few  small 
bilif  uot  yet  liquidated,  our  whole  stock  was  reduced  to  fifty 
'billings. 

"  Merciful  Heaven  !  what  an  escape,"  cried  Timothy  ;  "  if 
It  u»rf  not  been  for  this  new  supply,  what  should  we  have 
done  ?'' 

"Tery  badly,  Timothy  ;  but  the  money  is  well  spent,  after 
all  1  have  now  entrance  into  the  first  circles.  I  can  do  with- 
out Major  Carbonnell ;  at  all  events,  I  shall  quit  this  hotel,  and 
take  furnished  apartments,  and  live  at  the  clubs.  I  know  how 
to  put  him  off." 

I  laid  the  money  on  the  salver,  and  desired  Timothy  to  ring 
for  the  landlord,  when  who  should  come  up  but  the  major  and 
Harccurt.  "  Why,  Newland  !  what  are  you  going  to  do  witD 
thai  money  ?"  said  the  major. 


136  JAPHLT,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  I  am  paying  my  bill,  major." 

"  Paying  your  bill,  indeed  ;  let  us  see — £104.  O  this  is  a 
confounded  imposition.  You  mustn't  pay  this."  At  this  rao 
ment  the  landlord  entered.  "  Mr.  Wallace,"  said  the  major, 
"  my  friend  Mr.  Newland  was  about,  as  you  may  see,  to  pay 
you  the  whole  of  your  demand  ;  but  allow  me  to  observe,  that 
being  my  very  particular  friend,  and  the  Piazza  having  been 
particularly  recommended  by  me,  I  do  think  that  your  charges 
are  somewhat  exorbitant.  I  shall  certainly  advise  Mr.  New- 
land  to  leave  the  house  to-morrow,  if  you  are  not  more  reason- 
able." 

"  Allow  me  to  observe,  major,  that  my  reason  for  sending  for 
my  bill,  was  to  pay  it  before  I  went  into  the  country,  which  T 
must  do  to-morrow,  for  a  few  days." 

"  Then  I  shall  certainly  recommend  Mr.  Newland  not  to 
come  here  when  he  returns,  Mr.  Wallace  ;  for  I  hold  myself. 
to  a  certain  degree,  after  the  many  dinners  we  have  ordered 
here,  and  of  which  I  have  partaken,  as  I  may  say,  particep^ 
criminis,  or  in  other  words,  as  having  been  a  party  to  this  extor- 
tion. Indeed,  Mr.  Wallace,  some  reduction  must  be  made,  or 
you  will  greatly  hurt  the  credit  of  your  house/' 

Mr.  Wallace  declared,  that  really  he  had  nade  -.thing  but 
the  usual  charges,  that  he  would  look  over  the  bill  again,  and 
see  what  he  could  do. 

"  My  dear  Newland,"  said  the  major,  "  I  have  ordered  your 
dinners,  allow  me  to  settle  your  bill.  Now,  Mr.  Wallace,  sup- 
pose we  take  off  one-third  ?" 

"  One-third,  Major  Carbonnell  !     I  should  be  a  loser." 

"  I  am  not  exactly  of  your  opinion  ;  but  let  me  see — now 
take  your  choice.  Take  off  20/.,  or  you  lose  my  patronage,  and 
that  of  all  my  friends.  Yes  or  no  ?" 

The  landlord,  with  some  expostulation,  at  last  consented  ;  he 
receipted  the  bill,  and  leaving  20/.  of  the  money  on  the  salver 
made  his  bow,  and  retired. 

"  Rather  fortunate  that  I  flipped  in,  my  dear  Newland;  now 
there  are  20/.  saved.  By-the-bye,  I'm  short  of  cash.  You've 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  137 

ao  objection  to  let  me  have  this  ?  I  shall  never  pay  you, 
you  know." 

"  I  do  know  you  never  will  pay  me,  major  ;  nevertheless,  as  I 
should  have  paid  it  to  the  landlord  had  you  not  interfered,  I 
will  lend  it  to  you  " 

"  You  are  a  good  fellow,  Newland,"  said  the  major,  pocket- 
ing the  mooey  ''  If  I  had  borrowed  it,  and  you  had  thought 
you  would  have  had  it  repaid,  I  should  not  have  thanked  you, 
but  as  you  lend  it  me  with  your  eyes  open,  it  is  nothing  more 
than  a  very  delicate  manner  of  obliging  me,  and  I  tell  you  can- 
didly thai  I  will  not  forget  it.  So  you  really  are  off  to- 
morrow ?'• 

"  Yes.'  replied  I  "  J  must  go  ;  for  I  find  that  I  am  not  to 
make  <Hek&  and  drakes  of  my  money,  until  I  come  into  posses- 
sion of  my  property  '' 

"  I  see.  my  dear  fellow.  Executors  are  the  very  devil ;  they 
ha*e  no  feeling  Never  mind  ;  there's  a  way  of  getting  to 
windward  of  them.  I  dine  with  Harcourt,  and  he  has  come  to 
ask  you  to  join  us." 

"  With  pleasure." 

"  I  shall  expect  you  at  seven,  Newland,"  said  Harcourt,  as 
he  quitted  the  room  with  the  major. 

"  Dear  me,  sir,  how  could  you  let  that  gentleman  walk  off 
with  your  money  ?"  cried  Timothy.  "  I  was  just  rubbing  my 
hands  with  the  idea  that  we  were  2(M.  better  off  than  we 
thought,  and  away  it  went,  like  smoke." 

"  And  will  never  come  back  again,  Tim ;  but  never  mind  that, 
it  is  important  that  I  make  a  friend  of  him,  and  his  friendship  is 
only  to  be  bought.  I  shall  have  value  received.  And  now,  Tun, 
we  must  pack  up,  for  I  leave  this  to-morrow  morning.  I  shall 
go  down  to ,  and  see  little  Fleta." 

I  dined  with  Harconrt.  The  major  was  rather  curious  to 
know  what  it  wae  which  appeared  to  Qurry  Lord  Windermear, 
and  what  had  passed  Ixtween  us.  I  told  him  that  his  lordship 
was  dispieared  OL.  n.oney  matters,  but  that  all  was  right,  only 
that  I  must  bt  more  careful  for  the  future.  "  Indeed,  major,  I 


138  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

think  I  shall  take  lodgings.    I  shall  be  more  comfortable,  and 
better  able  to  receive  my  friends." 

Harcourt  agreed  with  me,  that  it  was  a  much  better  plan, 
when  the  major  observed,  "  Why,  Newland,  I  have  a  roora 
quite  at  your  service  ;  suppose  you  come  and  live  with  me  ?" 

"  I  am  afraid  I  shall  not  save  by  that,"  replied  I,  laughing 
"  for  you  will  not  pay  your  share  of  the  bills." 

"  No,  upon  my  honour  I  will  not ;  so  I  give  you  fair  warning, 
but  as  I  always  dine  with  you  when  I  do  not  dine  elsewhere,  it 
will  be  a  saving  to  you — for  you  will  save  your  lodgings,  New- 
land  ;  and  you  know  the  house  is  my  own,  and  I  let  off  the  rest 
of  it ;  so  as  far  as  that  bill  is  concerned,  you  will  be  safe." 

"  Make  the  best  bargain  you  can,  Newland,"  said  Harcourt : 
"  accept  his  offer  ;  for  depend  upon  it,  it  will  be  a  saving  in  the 
end." 

"  It  certainly  deserves  consideration/'  replied  I ;  "  and  the 
major's  company  must  be  allowed  to  have  its  due  weight  in  tha 
scale ;  if  Carbonnell  will  promise  to  be  a  little  more  economi- 
cal   " 

"  I  will,  my  dear  fellow — I  will  act  as  your  steward,  and 
make  your  money  last  as  long  as  I  can,  for  my  own  saki,  as 
well  as  yours.  Is  it  a  bargain  ?  I  have  plenty  of  room  for 
your  servant,  and  if  he  will  assist  me  a  little,  I  will  discharge 
my  own."  I  then  consented  to  the  arrangement. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  MAJOR  TEACHES  ME  HOW  TO  PLAY  WHIST  SO  AS  NEVER  TC  LOSE 
WHICH  IS  BY  PLAYING  AGAINST  EACH  OTHER  AND  INTO  EACH 
OTHER'S  HANDS. 

Tne  next  day  I  went  to  the  banker's,  drew  out  150L  and  set 

off  with  Timothy  for .     Fleta  threw  herself  into  my 

arms,  and  sobbed  with  joy.     When  I  told  her  Timothy  was 


JAPHFT,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  139 

outs;de,  and  wished  to  see  her,  she  asked  why  he  did  not  come 
iii ;  and,  to  show  how  much  she  had  been  accustomed  to  see, 
without  making  remarks,  when  he  made  his  appearance  in  his 
livery,  she  did  net,  by  her  countenance,  express  the  least  sur- 
prise, nor,  indeed,  did  she  put  any  questions  to  me  on  the  sub- 
iect.  The  lady  who  kept  the  school  praised  her  very  much  for 
docility  and  attention,  and  shortly  after  left  the  room.  Fleta 
then  took  the  chain  from  around  her  neck  into  her  hand,  and 
told  me  that  she  did  recollect  something  about  it,  which  was, 
that  the  lady  whom  she  remembered,  wore  a  long  pair  of  ear- 
rings, of  the  same  make  and  materials.  She  could  not,  how- 
ever, call  to  mind  any  thing  else.  I  remained  with  the  little  * 
girl  for  three  hours,  and  then  returned  to  London — taking  my 
luggage  from  the  hotel,  and  installed  myself  into  the  apart- 
ments of  Major  Carbonnell. 

The  major  adhered  to  his  promise  ;  we  certainly  lived  well, 
for  he  could  not  live  otherwise  ;  but  in  every  other  point  he 
was  very  careful  not  to  add  to  expense.  The  season  was  now 
over,  and  evefy  body  of  consequence  quitted  the  metropolis. 
To  remain  in  town  would  be  to  lose  caste,  and  we  had  a  con- 
ference where  we  should  proceed. 

"  Newland,"  said  the  major,  "  you  have  created  a  sensation 
this  season,  which  has  done  great  honour  to  my  patronage  ; 
but  I  trust,  next  spring,  that  I  shall  see  you  form  a  good  alli- 
ance ;  for,  believe  me,  out  of  the  many  heartless  beings  we  have 
mingled  with  there  are  still  not  only  daughters,  but  mothers, 
who  are  not  influenced  by  base  and  sordid  views." 

"  Why,  Carbonnell.  I  never  heard  you  venture  upon  so  long 
a  moral  speech  before.'' 

"  True,  Newland,  and  it  may  be  a  long  while  before  I  do  so 
acrain :  the  world  is  my  oyster,  which  I  must  open,  that  I  may 
L:VO  ;  but  recollect.  I  am  only  trying  to  recover  my  own,  which 
the  world  nas  swindled  me  out  of.  There  was  a  time  when  I 
was  even  more  disinterested,  more  confiding,  and  more  innocent 
than  you  wert  *rheu  I  first  took  you  in  hand.  I  suffered,  and 
*ag  ruinea  by  my  g-rod  qualities  ;  and  I  now  live  and  do  well 


140  JAl'HET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER 

by  having  discarded  them.  We  must  fight  the  worMwith  his 
owu  weapons  ;  but  still,  as  I  said  before,  there  is  some  gooa  in 
it,  some  pure  ore  amongst  the  dross  ;  and  it  is  possible  to  find 
high  rank  and  large  fortune,  and  at  the  same  time  an  innoeeul 
mind.  If  you  do  marry,  I  will  try  hard  but  you  shall  possess 
both  ;  not  that  fortune  can  be  of  much  consequence  to  you." 

"  Depend  upon  it,  Carbonnell,  I  never  will  marry  without 
fortune." 

"  I  did  not  know  that  I  had  schooled  you  so  well :  be  it  so — 
it  is  but  fair  that  you  should  expect  it ;  and  it  shall  be  an  item 
in  the  match,  if  I  have  any  thing  to  do  with  it." 

"  But  why  are  you  so  anxious  that  I  should  marry,  Carbon- 
nell ?" 

"  Because  I  think  you  will,  in  all  probability,  avoid  the 
gaming-table,  which  I  should  have  taken  you  to  myself  had 
you  been  in  possession  of  your  fortune  when  I  first  knew  you, 
and  have  had  my  share  of  your  plucking  ;  but  now  I  do  know 
you,  I  have  that  affection  for  you  that  I  think  it  better  you 
should  not  lose  your  all  ;  for  observe,  Newland,  my  share  of 
your  spoliation  would  not  be  more  than  what  I  have,  and  may 
still  receive,  from  you ;  and  if  you  marry  and  settle  down,  there 
will  always  be  a  good  house  and  a  good  table  for  me,  as  long 
as  I  find  favour  with  your  wife  ;  and,  at  all  events,  a  friend  in 
need,  that  I  feel  convinced  of.  So  now  you  have  my  reasons  ; 
some  smack  of  the  disinterestedness  of  former  days,  others  of 
my  present  worldliness  ;  you  may  believe  which  you  please.r 
And  the  major  laughed  as  he  finished  his  speech. 

"  Carbonnell,"  replied  I,  "  I  will  believe  +,ha*,  the  better  feel- 
ings predominate — that  the  world  has  made  you  what  you  are; 
and  that  had  you  not  been  ruined  ^y  the  world,  you  would 
have  been  disinterested  and  generous;  e^en  now.  youi  real  na- 
ture often  gains  the  ascendency,  and  I  am  sure  that  in  all  that 
you  have  done,  which  is  not  defensible,  your  poverty,  and  not 
your  will,  has  consented.  Now,  blunted  by  habit  and  time, 
the  suggestions  of  conscience  do  not  often  give  you  a.iy  uncut i- 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  141 

'You  are  very  right,  my  dear  fellow,"  replied  the  major; 
"  and  in  having  a  better  opinion  of  me  than  the  world  in  gen- 
eral, you  do  me,  I  trust,  no  more  than  justice.  I  will  not 
squander  your  fortune,  when  you  come  to  it,  if  I  can  help  it; 
and  you'll  allow  that's  a  very  handsome  promise  on  my  part." 

"  I'll  defy  you  to  squander  my  fortune,"  replied  I,  laughing. 

"  Nay,  don't  defy  me,  Newland,  for  if  you  do,  you'll  put  me 
oi>  my  mettle.  Above  all,  don't  lay  me  a  bet,  for  that  will  be 
still  more  dangerous.  We  have  only  spent  about  four  hundred 
of  the  thousand  since  we  have  lived  together,  which  I  consider 
highly  economical.  What  do  you  say,  shall  we  go  to  Chelten- 
ham ?  You  will  find  plenty  of  Irish  girls,  looking  out  for  hus- 
bands, who  will  give  you  a  warm  reception." 

"  I  hate  your  fortune  and  establishment  hunters,"  replied  I. 

"  I  grant  that  they  are  looking  out  for  a  good  match,  so  are 
all  the  world;  but  let  me  do  them  justice.  Although,  if  you 
proposed,  in  three  days  they  would  accept  you;  yet  once  mar- 
ried, they  make  the  very  best  wives  in  the  world.  But  recol- 
lect, me  must  go  somewhere,  and  I  think  Cheltenham  is  as 

good  a  place  as  any  other.  I  do  not  mean  for  a  wife,  but 

it  will  suit  my  own  views." 

This  last  observation  decided  'me,  and  in  a  few  days  we  were 
at  Cheltenham;  and  having  made  our  appearance  at  the  rooms, 
were  soon  in  the  vortex  of  society.  "  Newland,"  said  Carbon- 
nell,  "  I  dare  say  you  find  time  hang  rather  heavy  in  this  mono- 
tonous place." 

"Not  at  all,"  replied  I;  "  what  with  dining  out,  dancing, 
and  promenading,  I  do  very  well." 

"  But  we  must  do  better.  Tell  me,  are  you  a  good  hand  at 
whist  P 

"  Not  by  any  means.     Indeed,  I  hardly  know  the  game." 

"  It  is  a  fashionable  and  necessary  accomplishment.  I  must 
make  you  master  of  it,  and  our  mornings  shall  be  dedicated  to 
the  work." 

"  Agreed,"  replied  I;  and  from  that  day,  every  morning  after 
breakfast  till  fc  ur  o'clock,  the  major  and  I  were  shut  up,  play 


142  JAFHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

ing  two  dummies  under  his  instruction.     Adept  as  be  was,  I 
very  soon  learnt  all  the  finesse  and  beauty  of  the  game. 

"  You  will  do  now,  Newland,"  said  the  major  one  morning, 
tossing  the  cards  away.  "  Recollect,  if  you  are  asked  to  play, 
and  I  have  agreed,  do  not  refuse;  but  we  must  always  pl&y 
against  each  other." 

"  I  don't  see  what  we  shall  gain  by  that,"  replied  I;  "  for  if 
I  win,  you'll  lose." 

"  Never  do  you  mind  that;  only  follow  my  injunctions,  and 
play  as  high  as  they  choose.  We  only  stay  here  three  weeks 
longer,  and  must  make  the  most  of  our  time." 

I  confess  I  was  quite  puzzled  at  what  might  be  the  major's 
intentions;  but  that  night  we  sauntered  into  the  club.  Not 
having  made  our  appearance  before,  we  were  considered  as  new 
hands  by  those  who  did  not  know  the  major,  and  were  immedi- 
ately requested  to  make  up  a  game.  "  Upon  my  word,  gentle- 
men, in  the  first  place,  I  play  very  badly,"  replied  the  major; 
"  and  in  the  next,"  continued  he,  laughing,  "  if  I  lose,  I  never 
shall  pay  you,  for  I'm  cleaned  out." 

The  way  in  which  the  major  said  this  only  excited  a  smile  ; 
he  was  not  believed,  and  I  was  also  requested  to  take  a  hand. 
"  I'll  not  play  with  the  major,"  observed  I,  "  for  he  plays  badly, 
and  has  bad  luck  into  the  bargain  ;  I  might  as  well  lay  my 
money  down  on  the  table." 

This  was  agreed  to  by  the  other  parties,  and  we  sat  down. 
The  first  rubber  of  short  whist  was  won  by  the  major  and  his 
partner :  with  the  beta  it  amounted  to  eighteen  pounds.  I 
pulled  out  my  purse  to  pay  the  major  ;  but  he  refused,  saying, 
"  No,  Newland,  pay  my  partner  ;  and  with  you,  sir,"  said  he, 
addressing  my  partner,  "  I  will  allow  the  debt  to  remain  until 
we  rise  from  the  table.  Newland,  we  are  not  going  to  let  yon 
off  yet,  I  can  tell  you." 

I  paid  my  eighteen  pounds,  and  we  recommenced.  Although 
his  partner  did  not  perhaps  observe  it,  for  he  was  but  an  indif- 
ferent player,  or  if  he  did  observe  it,  had  the  politeness  not  to 
say  any  thing,  the  major  now  played  very  badlv.  He  lost  three 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER.  143 

rubbers  one  after  another,  and,  with  bets  and  stakes,  they 
amcunted  to  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds.  At  the  end  of 
the  last  rubber  he  threw  up  the  cards,  exclaiming  against  his 
luck,  and  declaring  that  he  would  play  no  more.  "  How  are 
we  now,  sir  ?"  said  he  to  my  partner. 

"  You  owed  me,  I  think,  eighteen  pounds." 

"  Eighteen  from  one  hundred  and  forty,  leaves  one  hundred 
and  twenty-two  pounds,  which  I  now  owe  yon.  You  must,  I'm 
afraid,  allow  me  to  be  your  debtor,"  continued  the  major,  in  a 
most  insinuating  manner.  "  I  did  not  come  here  with  the 
Intention  of  playing.  I  presume  I  shall  find  you  here  to-mor- 
r:w  night." 

The  gentleman  bowed,  and  appeared  quite  satisfied.  Major 
Carbonnell's  partner  paid  me  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds, 
which  J  put  in  my  pocket-book,  and  we  quitted  the  club. 


CHAPTER  XXY. 

W*    7UND    OUR   WINNINGS,  AND    CONSIDER   TO    REFUND,  A   WORK    OF 

SUPEREROGATION IN    LOOKING    AFTER   MY    FATHER,  I    OBEY   THS 

OLD  ADAGE,  "  FOLLOW  YOUR  NOSE." 

As  soon  as  we  were  in  the  street,  I  commenced  an  inquiry  as 
tc  the  major's  motives.  "  Not  one  word,  my  dear  fellow, 
until  we  are  at  home,"  replied  he.  As  soon  as  we  arrived, 
he  threw  himself  in  a  chair,  and  crossing  his  legs,  commenced  : 
"You  observe,  Newland,  that  I  am  very  careful  that  you 
should  do  nothing  to  injure  your  character.  As  for  my  own, 
all  the  honesty  in  the  world  will  not  redeem  it  ;  nothing  but  a 
peerage  will  ever  set  me  right  again  in  this  world,  and  a  coronet 
will  cover  a  multitude  of  sins.  I  have  thought  it  my  duty  to 
add  something  to  our  finances,  and  intend  to  add  very  con- 
siderably to  them  afore  we  leave  Cheltenham.  You  have  wou 
one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  pounds." 


144  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Yes,"  replied  I ;  "  but  you  have  lost  it." 

"  Granted  ;  but,  as  in  most  cases,  I  never  mean  to  pay  my 
losses,  you  see  that  it  must  be  a  winning  speculation  as  long  ae 
we  play  against  each  other." 

"  I  perceive,"  replied  I ;  "  but  am  not  I  a  confederate  ?" 

"  No  ;  you  paid  when  you  lost,  and  took  your  money  when 
you  won.  Leave  me  to  settle  my  own  debts  of  honour." 

"  But  you  will  meet  him  again  to-morrow  night. 

"  Yes,  and  I  will  tell  you  why.  I  never  thought  it  possible 
that  we  could  have  met  two  such  bad  players  at  the  club.  We 
must  now  play  against  them,  and  we  must  win  in  the  long  run: 
by  which  means  I  shall  pay  off  the  debt  I  owe  him,  and  you 
will  win  and  pocket  money." 

"  Ah,"  replied  I,  "  if  you  mean  to  allow  him  a  chance  for  his 
money,  I  have  no  objection — that  will  be  all  fair." 

"  Depend  upon  it,  Newland,  when  I  know  that  people  play 
as  badly  as  they  do,  I  will  not  refuse  them  ;  but  when  we  sit 
down  with  others,  it  must  be  as  it  was  before — we  must  play 
against  each  other,  and  I  shall  owe  the  money.  I  told  the 
fellow  that  I  never  would  pay  him." 

"  Yes  ;  but  he  thought  you  were  only  joking." 

"That  is  his  fault — I  was  in  earnest.  I  could  not  have 
managed  this,  had  it  not  been  that  you  are  known  to  be  a 
young  man  of  ten  thousand  pounds  per  annum,  and  supposed 
to  be  my  dupe.  I  tell  you  so  candidly  ;  and  now  good  night." 

I  turned  the  affair  over  in  my  mind  as  I  undressed — it  was 
not  honest — but  I  paid  when  I  lost,  and  I  only  took  the  money 
when  I  won, — still  I  did  not  like  it;  but  the  bank  notes  caught 
my  eye  as  they  lay  on  the  table,  and — I  was  satisfied.  Alas  ! 
how  easy  are  scruples  removed  when  we  want  money  !  How 
many  are  there  who,  when  in  a  state  of  prosperity  and  affluence, 
when  not  tried  by  temptation,  would  have  blushed  at  ths  bare 
idea  of  a  dishonest  action,  have  raised  and  held  up  their  hands 
in  abhorrence,  when  they  have  heard  that  others  have  been 
found  guilty  ;  and  yet,  when  in  adversity,  have  themselves 
committed  the  very  acts  which  before  they  so  loudly  condemned! 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER  145 

How  many  of  the  other  sex,  who  have  expressed  their  iudigna- 
tion  aud  contempt  at  those^who  have  fallen,  when  tempted, 
have  fallen  themselves  !  Let  us  therefore  be  charitable  ;  none 
of  us  can  tell  to  what  we  may  be  reduced  by  circumstances  , 
and  when  we  acknowledge  that  the  error  is  great,  let  us  feel 
Borrow  and  pity  rather  than  indignation,  and  pray  that  we  also 
may  not  be  "  led  into  temptation." 

As  agre^l  upon,  the  next  evening  we  repaired  to  the  club 
and  found  the  two  gentlemen  ready  to  receive  us.  This  time 
the  major  refused  to  play  unless  it  was  with  me,  as  I  had  such 
good  fortune,  and  no  difficulty  was  made  by  our  opponents. 
We  sat  down  and  played  till  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  At 
first,  notwithstanding  our  good  play,  fortune  favoured  our 
adversaries  ;  but  the  luck  soon  changed,  and  the  result  of  the 
evening  was,  that  the  major  had  a  balance  in  his  favour  of 
forty  pounds,  and  I  rose  a  winner  of  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
one  pounds,  so  that  in  two  nights  we  had  won  three  hundred 
and  forty-two  pounds.  For  nearly  three  weeks  this  continued, 
the  major  not  paying  when  not  convenient,  and  we  quitted 
Cheltenham  with  about  eight  hundred  pounds  in  our  pockets  ; 
the  major  having  paid  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds 
to  different  people  who  frequented  the  club  ;  but  they  were 
Irishmen,  who  were  not  to  be  trifled  with.  I  proposed  to  the 
major  that  we  should  pay  those  debts,  as  there  still  would  be  a 
large  surplus  :  he  replied,  "  Give  me  the  money."  I  did  so. 
"  Now,"  continued  he,  "  so  far  your  scruples  are  removed,  as 
you  will  have  been  strictly  honest  ;  but,  my  dear  fellow,  if  you 
knew  how  many  debts  of  this  sort  are  due  to  me,  of  which  I 
never  did  touch  one  farthing,  you  would  feel  as  I  do — that  it 
is  excessively  foolish  to  part  with  money.  I  have  them  all 

booked  here,  aud  may  some  day  pay when  convenient ; 

tat  at  present,  most  decidedly,  it  is  not  so."  The  major  put 
the  notes  into  his  pocket,  and  the  conversation  was  dropped. 

The  next  morning  we  had  ordered  our  horses,  when  Timothy 
came  up  to  me,  and  made  a  sign,  as  we  were  at  breakfast,  for 
me  to  come  out.  1  followed  him. 

7 


146  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Oh  1  sir,  I  could  not  help  telling  you,  but  there  is  a  gentle 
man  with " 

"  With  what  ?"  replied  I,  hastily. 

"With  your  nose,  sir,  exactly — and  in  other  respects  verj 
like  you — just  about  the  age  your  father  should  be." 

"  Where  is  he,  Timothy  ?"  replied  I,  all  my  feelings  in 
c<  search  of  my  father  "  rushing  into  my  mind. 

"  Down  below,  sir,  about  to  set  off  in  a  post-chaise  and  four, 
now  waiting  at  the  door." 

I  ran  down  with  my  breakfast  napkin  in  my  hand,  and  has- 
tened to  the  portico  of  the  hotel — he  was  in  his  carriage,  and 
the  porter  was  then  shutting  the  door.  I  looked  at  him.  He 
was,  as  Timothy  said,  very  like  me,  indeed,  the  nose  exact.  I 
was  breathless,  and  I  continued  to  gaze. 

"  All  right,"  cried  the  ostler. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir, "  said  I,  addressing  the  gentle- 
man in  the  carriage,  who  perceiving  a  napkin  in  my  hand  pro- 
bably took  me  for  one  of  the  waiters,  for  he  replied  very 
abruptly,  "  I  have  remembered  you  ;"  and  pulling  up  the  glass, 
away  whirled  the  chariot,  the  nave  of  the  hind  wheel  striking 
me  a  blow  on  the  thigh  which  numbed  it  so,  that  it  was  with 
difficulty  I  could  limp  up  to  our  apartments,  when  I  threw  my- 
self on  the  sofa  in  a  state  of  madness  and  despair. 

"  Good  heavens,  Newland,  what  is  the  matter  ?"  cried  the 
major. 

"  Matter,"  replied  I,  faintly.     "  I  have  seen  my  father." 

"  Your  father,  Newland  ?  you  must  be  mad.  He  was  dead 
before  you  could  recollect  him — at  least  so  you  told  me.  How 
then,  even  if  it  were  his  ghost,  could  you  have  recognised 
him  r 

The  major's  remarks  reminded  me  of  the  imprudence  I  had 
been  guilty  of. 

"  Major,"  replied  I,  "  I  believe  I  am  very  absurd  ;  but  he  was 
so  like  me,  and  I  have  so  often  longed  after  my  father,  so  long 

wished  to  see  him  face  to  face- — that I'm  a  great  fool, 

ihat's  the  fact." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  147 

u  "Y  on  mnst  go  to  the  next  world,  my  good  fellow,  to  meet 
him  face  to  face,  that's  clear  ;  and  I  presume,  upon  a  little  con< 
sideration,  you  will  feel  inclined  to  postpone  your  journey. 
Very  often  in  your  sleep  I  have  heard  you  talk  about  your 
father,  and  wondered  why  you  should  think  so  much  about 
him" 

"  I  cannot  help  it,"  replied  I.  "  From  my  earliest  days  my 
father  has  ever  been  hi  my  thoughts." 

"  I  can  only  say,  that  very  few  sons  are  half  so  dutiful  to 
their  fathers'  memories — but  finish  your  breakfast,  and  then  we 
start  for  London." 

I  complied  with  his  request  as  well  as  I  could,  and  we  were 
soon  on  our  road.  I  fell  into  a  reverie — my  object  was  to  again 
find  out  this  person,  and  I  quietly  directed  Timothy  to  ascer- 
tain from  the  post-boys  the  directions  he  gave  at  the  last  stage. 
The  major  perceiving  me  not  inclined  to  talk,  made  but  few  ob- 
servations ;  one,  however  struck  me.  "  Windermear,"  said  he, 
"  I  recollect  one  day,  when  I  was  praising  you,  said  carelessly, 
1  that  you  were  a  fine  young  man,  but  a  little  tete  montee  upon 
one  point.'  I  see  now  it  must  have  been  upon  this."  I  made  no 
reply  ;  but  it  certainly  was  a  strange  circumstance  that  the  ma- 
jor never  had  any  suspicion  on  this  point,  yet  he  certainly  never 
had.  We  had  once  or  twice  talked  over  my  affairs.  I  had  led 
him  to  suppose  that  my  father  and  mother  died  in  my  infancy, 
and  that  I  should  have  had  a  large  fortune  when  I  came  of  age  ; 
but  this  had  been  entirely  by  indirect  replies,  not  by  positive 
assertions  ;  the  fact  was,  that  the  major,  who  was  an  adept  in 
all  deceit,  never  had  an  idea  that  he  could  have  been  deceived 
by  one  so  young,  so  prepossessing,  and  apparently  so  ingenuous 
as  myself.  He  had,  in  fact,  deceived  himself.  His  ideas  of  my 
fortune  arose  entirely  from  my  asking  him  whether  he  would 
have  refused  the  name  of  Japhet  for  ten  thousand  pounds  per 
annum.  Lord  Windermear,  after  having  introduced  me,  did 
not  consider  it  at  all  necessary  to  acquaint  the  major  with  my 
real  history,  as  it  was  imparted  to  him  in  confidence.  He 
allowed  matters  to  take  their  course,  and  me  to  work  my  owu 


148  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

way  in  the  world.  Thus  do  the  most  canning  over-reach  them 
selves,  and  with  their  eyes  open  to  any  deceit  on  the  part  of 
others,  prove  quite  blind  when  they  deceive  themselves. 

Timothy  could  not  obtain  any  intelligence  from  the  people  of 
the  inn  at  the  last  stage,  except  that  the  chariot  had  proceeded 
to  London.  We  arrived  late  at  night,  and,  much  exhausted,  1 
was  glad  to  go  to  bed. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

IN    FOLLOWING   MY   NOSE,    I   NARROWLY   ESCAPED    BEING   NOSED   BY 
A   BEAK. 

AND  as  I  lay  in  my  bed,  thinking  that  I  was  now  nearly  twenty 
years  old,  and  had  not  yet  made  any  discovery,  my  heart  sank 
within  me.  My  monomania  returned  with  redoubled  force,  and 
I  resolved  to  renew  my  search  with  vigour.  So  I  told  Timothy 
the  next  morning,  when  he  came  into  my  room,  but  from  him  I 
received  little  consolation  ;  he  advised  me  to  look  out  for  a 
good  match  in  a  rich  wife,  and  leave  time  to  develope  the 
mystery  of  my  birth  ;  pointing  out  the  little  chance  I  ever  had 
of  success. 

Town  was  not  full,  the  season  had  hardly  commenced,  and 
we  had  few  invitations  or  visits  to  distract  my  thoughts  from 
their  object.  My  leg  became  so  painful,  that  for  a  week  I  was 
on  the  sofa,  Timothy  every  day  going  out  to  ascertain  if  he 
could  find  the  person  whom  we  had  seen  resembling  me,  and 
every  evening  returning  without  success.  I  became  melancholy 
and  nervous.  Carbonnell  could  not  imagine  what  was  the 
matter  wkh  me.  At  last  I  was  able  to  walk,  and  I  sallied 
forth,  perambulating,  or  rather  running  through  street  after 
Btr  jet,  looking  into  every  carriage,  so  as  to  occasion  surprise  to 
the  occupants,  who  believed  me  mad  ;  my  dress  and  person 
were  disordered,  for  I  had  become  indifferent  to  it,  and  Timothy 
oimself  believed  that  I  was  going  out  of  my  senses. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  149 

At  last,  after  we  had  been  in  town  about  five  weeks,  I  saw 
the  very  object  of  my  search,  seated  ia  a  carriage,  of  a  dark 
brown  color,  arms  painted  in  shades,  so  as  not  to  be  distin- 
guishable but  at  a  neai  approach  ;  his  hat  was  off,  and  he  sat 
upright  and  formally.  "  That  is  he  1"  ejaculated  I,  and  away 
I  ran  after  the  carriage.  "  It  is  the  nose,"  cried  I,  as  I  ran 
down  the  street,  knocking  every  one  to  the  right  and  left.  I 
lost  my  hat,  but  fearful  of  losing  sight  of  the  carriage,  I  has- 
tened on,  when  I  heard  a  cry  of  "  Stop  him,  stop  him  !"' — 
"  Stop  him,"  cried  I,  also,  referring  to  the  gentleman  in  black 
in  the  carriage. 

"  That  won't  do,"  cried  a  man,  seizing  me  by  the  collar  ;  "  I 
know  a  trick  worth  two  of  that." 

"  Let  me  go,"  roared  I,  struggling  ;  but  he  only  held  me  the 
faster.  I  tussled  with  the  man  until  my  coat  and  shirt  were 
torn,  but  in  vain  ;  the  crowd  now  assembled,  and  I  was  fast. 
The  fact  was,  that  a  pickpocket  had  been  exercising  his  voca- 
tion at  the  time  that  I  was  running  past,  and  from  my  haste, 
and  loss  of  my  hat,  I  was  supposed  to  be  the  criminal.  The 
police  took  charge  of  me — I  pleaded  innocence  in  vain,  and  I 
was  dragged  before  the  magistrate  at  Marlborough  Street.  Mj 
appearance,  the  disorder  of  my  dress,  my  coat  and  shirt  in 
ribands,  with  no  hat,  were  certainly  not  at  all  in  my  favour, 
when  I  made  my  appearance,  led  in  by  two  Bow  Street  officers. 

"  Whom  have  we  here  ?"  inquired  the  magistrate. 

"  A  pickpocket,  sir,"  replied  they. 

"  Ah  !  one  of  the  swell  mob,"  replied  he.  "  Are  there  any 
witnesses  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  a  young  man,  coming  forward.  "  I  was 
walking  up  Bond  Street,  when  I  felt  a  tug  at  my  pocket,  and 
«rhen  I  turned  round,  this  chap  was  running  away." 

"  Can  you  swear  to  his  person  ?" 

There  were  plenty  to  swear  that  I  was  the  person  who  ran 
away. 

"  Now,  sir,  have  you  any  thing  to  offer  in  your  defence  ?" 
Raid  the  magistrate 


150  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  I ;  "  I  certainly  was  running  down  the 
Btreet ;  and  it  may  be,  for  all  I  know  or  care,  that  this  person's 
pocket  may  have  been  picked — but  I  did  not  pick  it.  I  am  o 
gentleman." 

"All  your  fraternity  lay  claim  to  gentility,"  replied  the 
magistrate  ;  "perhaps  you  will  state  why  yon  were  running 
down  the  street.'; 

"  I  was  running  after  a  carriage,  sir,  that  I  might  speak  to 
the  person  inside  of  it." 

"  Pray  who  was  the  person  inside  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir." 

"  Why  should  you  run  after  a  person  yon  do  not  know  ?" 

"It  was  because  of  his  nose" 

"  His  nose  ?"  replied  the  magistrate  angrily.  "  Do  you  think 
to  trifle  with  me,  sir  ?  You  shall  now  follow  your  own  nose  tc 
prison.  Make  out  his  committal." 

"As  you  please,  sir,"  replied  I ;  "but  still  I  have  told  you 
the  truth  ;  if  you  will  allow  any  one  to  take  a  note,  I  will  soon 
prove  my  respectability.  I  ask  it  in  common  justice." 

"Be  it  so,"  replied  the  magistrate  ;  "  let  him  sit  down  within 
the  bar  till  the  answer  comes." 

In  less  than  an  hour,  my  note  to  Major  Carbonnell  was 
answered  by  his  appearance  in  person,  followed  by  Timothy. 
Carbonnell  walked  up  to  the  magistrate,  while  Timothy  asked 
the  officers  in  an  angry  tone,  what  they  had  been  doing  to  his 
master.  This  rather  startled  them,  but  both  they  and  the  magis- 
trate were  much  surprised  when  the  major  asserted  that  I  was 
his  most  particular  friend,  Mr.  Newland,  who  possessed  ten 
thousand  pounds  per  annum,  and  who  was  as  well  known  in 
fashionable  society  as  any  young  man  of  fortune  about  town. 
The  magistrate  explained  what  had  passed,  and  asked  the  major 
if  I  was  not  a  little  deranged  ;  but  the  major,  who  perceived 
what  was  the  cause  of  my  strange  behaviour,  told  him  that 
somebody  had  insulted  me,  and  that  I  was  very  anxious  tc 
lay  hold  of  the  person  who  had  avoided  me,  and  who  must 
have  been  in  that  carriage. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEAKCH  OP  A  FATHER.  151 

"  1  am  afraid,  that  after  your  explanation,  Major  Carbon- 
oell,  I  must,  as  a  magistrate,  bind  over  your  friend,  Mr.  New- 
land,  to  keep  the  peace." 

To  this  I  consented,  the  major  and  Timothy  being  taken  aa 
recognisances,  and  then  I  was  permitted  to  depart.  The  major 
sent  for  a  hackney  coach  ;  and  when  we  were  going  home  he 
pointed  out  to  me  the  folly  of  my  conduct,  and  received  my 
promise  to  be  more  careful  for  the  future.  Thus  did  this  affair 
end,  and  for  a  short  tune  I  was  more  careful  in  my  appearance, 
and  not  so  very  anxious  to  look  into  carriages  ;  still,  however, 
the  idea  haunted  me,  and  I  was  often  very  melancholy.  It 
was  about  a  month  afterwards,  that  I  was  sauntering  with  the 
major,  who  now  considered  me  to  be  insane  upon  that  point, 
and  who  would  seldom  allow  me  to  go  out  without  him,  when 
I  again  perceived  the  same  carriage,  with  the  gentleman  inside 
as  before. 

"  There  he  is,  major,"  cried  I. 

"  There  is  who  ?"  replied  he. 

"  The  man  so  like  my  father." 

"  What,  in  that  carriage  ?  that  is  the  Bishop  of  E ,  my 

good  fellow.  What  a  strange  idea  you  have  in  your  head, 
Newlaud  ;  it  almost  amounts  to  madness.  Do  not  be  staring 
in  that  way — come  along." 

Still  my  head  was  turned  quite  round,  looking  at  the  carriage 
after  it  had  passed,  till  it  was  out  of  sight ;  but  I  knew  who 
the  party  was,  and  for  the  time  I  was  satisfied,  as  I  determined 
to  find  out  his  address,  and  call  upon  him.  I  narrated  to 
Timothy  what  had  occurred,  and  referring  to  the  Red  Book,  I 
looked  out  the  bishop's  town  address  ;  and  the  next  day,  after 
breakfast,  having  arranged  my  toilet  with  the  utmost  precision 
I  mode  an  excuse  to  the  major,  and  set  off  to  Portland  Place 


152  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

A    CHAPTER    OF    MISTAKES NO    BENEFIT    OF    CLERGY 1    ATTACK    A 

BISHOP,    AND    AM    BEATEN    OFF THE    MAJOR   HEDGES     UPON    THE 

FILLY  STAKES  . 

MY  hand  trembled  as  I  knocked  at  the  door.  It  was  opened. 
I  sent  in  my  card,  requesting  the  honour  of  an  audience  with 
his  lordship.  After  waiting  a  few  minutes  in  an  ante-room  I 
was  ushered  in.  "  My  lord,"  said  I,  in  a  flurried  manner,  "  will 
you  allow  me  to  have  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with  you 
alone." 

"  This  gentleman  is  my  secretary,  sir,  but  if  you  wish  it, 
certainly ;  for  although  he  is  my  confidant,  I  have  no  right  to 
insist  that  he  shall  be  yours.  Mr.  Temple  will  you  oblige  mo 
by  going  up  stairs,  for  a  little  while." 

The  secretary  quitted  the  room,  the  bishop  pointed  to  a 
chair,  and  I  sat  down.  I  looked  him  earnestly  in  the  face — the 
nose  was  exact,  and  I  imagined  that  even  in  the  other  features  I 
could  distinguish  a  resemblance.  I  was  satisfied  that  I  had  at 
last  gained  the  object  of  my  search.  "  I  believe,  sir,"  observed 
I,  "  that  you  will  acknowledge,  that  in  the  heat  and  impetuosity 
of  youth,  we  often  rush  into  hasty  and  improvident  connections." 

I  paused,  with  my  eyes  fixed  upon  his.  "  Very  true,  my 
young  sir  ;  and  when  we  do  we  are  ashamed,  and  repent  of 
them  afterwards,"  replied  the  bishop,  rather  astonished. 

"  I  grant  that,  sir,"  replied  I;  "  but  at  the  same  time,  we  must 
feel  that  we  must  abide  by  the  results,  however  unpleasant." 

"When  we  do  wrong,  Mr.  Newland,"  replied  the  bishop, 
first  looking  at  my  card,  and  then  upon  me,  "  we  find  that 
we  are  not  only  to  be  punished  in  the  next  world,  but  suffer  for 
it  also  in  this.  I  trust  you  have  no  reason  for  such  suffering  V 

"  Unfortunately,  the  sins  of  the  fathers  are  visited  upon  the 
children,  and,  in  that  view,  I  may  say  that  I  have  suffered." 

"  My  dear  sir,"  replied  the  bishop,  "  T  trust  you  will  excuse 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  153 

me,  when  I  say  that  my  time  is  rather  valuable  ;  if  you  have 
any  thing  of  importance  to  communicate — any  thing  upon  which 
you  would  ask  my  advice — for  assistance  you  do  not  appear  to 
require,  do  me  the  favour  to  proceed  at  once  to  the  point." 

"  I  will,  sir,  be  as  concise  as  the  matter  will  admit  of.  Allow 
me,  then,  to  ask  you  a  few  questions,  and  I  trust  to  your  honour, 
and  the  dignity  of  your  profession,  for  a  candid  answer.  Did 
you  not  marry  a  young  woman  early  in  life  ?  and  were  you  not 
very  much  pressed  in  your  circumstances  ?" 

The  bishop  stared.  "  Really,  Mr.  Newland,  it  is  a  strange 
question,  and  I  cannot  imagine  to  what  it  may  lead,  but  still  I 
will  answer  it.  I  did  marry  early  in  life,  and  I  was,  at  that 
tune,  not  in  very  affluent  circumstances." 

"  You  had  a  child  by  that  marriage— your  eldest  born — a 
boy  1" 

"  That  is  also  true,  Mr.  Newland,"  replied  the  bishop, 
gravely. 

"  How  long  is  it  since  you  have  seen  him  ?" 

"  It  is  many  years,"  replied  the  bishop,  putting  his  handker- 
chief up  to  his  eyes. 

"  Answer  me,  now,  sir  ; — did  you  net  desert  him  ?" 

"  No,  no  1"  replied  the  bishop.  "  It  is  strange  that  you 
should  appear  to  know  so  much  about  the  matter  Mr.  Newland, 
as  you  could  have  hardly  been  born.  I  was  poor  then — very 
poor;  but  although  I  could  ill  afford  it,  he  had  fifty  pounds  from 
me." 

"  But,  sir,"  replied  I,  much  agitated  ?  "  why  have  you  not 
reclaimed  him  ?" 

"  I  would  have  reclaimed  him,  Mr.  Newland — but  what 
could  I  do — he  was  not  to  be  reclaimed  ;  and  now — he  is  lost 
for  ever." 

"  Surely,  sir,  in  your  present  affluence,  you  must  wish  to  see 
him  again  ?" 

"  He  died,  and  I  trust  he  has  gone  to  heaven,"  replied  the 
bishop,  covering  up  his  face. 

"No,  sir,"  replied  I,  throwing  myself  on  my  knees  before 


154  JAl'HKT,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER. 

him,  "he  did  not  die,  here  he  is  at  your  feet,  to  ask  jour 
blessing." 

The  bishop  sprang  from  his  chair.  "  What  does  this  mean, 
BIT  ?"  said  he,  with  astonishment,  "  Yon  my  son  ?" 

"  Yes,  reverend  father — your  son  ;  who  with  fifty  pound* 
you  left " 

"  On  the  top  of  the  Portsmouth  coach  1" 

"  No,  sir,  in  the  basket." 

"  My  son  1  sir, — impossible ;  he  died  in  the  hospital." 

"  No,  sir,  he  has  come  out  of  the  hospital,"  replied  I ;  "  and, 
as  you  perceive,  safe  and  well." 

"  Either,  sir,  this  must  be  some  strange  mistake,  or  you  must 
be  trifling  with  me,"  replied  his  lordship  ;  "  for,  sir,  I  was  at 
his  death-bed,  and  followed  bun  to  his  grave." 

"Are  you  sure  of  that,  sir?"  replied  I,  starting  up  with 
amazement. 

"  I  wish  that  I  was  not,  sir — for  I  am  now  childless  ;  but 
pray,  sir,  who,  and  what  are  you,  who  know  so  much  of 
my  former  life,  and  who  would  have  thus  imposed  upon 
me?" 

"  Imposed  upon  you,  sir  !"  replied  I,  perceiving  that  I  was 
in  error.  "  Alas  !  I  would  do  no  such  thing.  Who  am  I  ? 
I  am  a  young  man  who  is  in  search  of  his  father.  Your  face, 
and  especially  your  nose,  so  resembled  mine,  that  I  made  sure 
that  I  had  succeeded.  Pity  me,  sir — pity  me,"  continued  I, 
covering  up  my  face  with  my  hands. 

The  bishop,  perceiving  that  there  was  little  of  the  impostor 
in  my  appearance,  and  that  I  was  much  affected,  allowed  a 
short  time  for  me  to  recover  myself,  and  then  entered  into  an 
explanation.  When  a  curate,  he  had  had  an  only  son,  very 
wild,  who  would  go  to  sea  in  spite  of  his  remonstrances.  He 
saw  him  depart  by  the  Portsmouth  coach,  and  gave  him  Hie 
sum  mentioned.  His  son  received  a  mortal  wound  in  action, 
and  was  sent  to  the  Plymouth  hospital,  where  he  died.  I  then 
entered  into  my  explanation  in  a  few  concise  sentences,  and 
with  a  teart  beating  with  disappointment,  took  my  leave.  The 


J.1PHE1     IX   SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  155 

bishop  shook  hands  with  me  as  I  quitted  the  room,  and  wishec 
me  better  success  at  my  next  application. 

I  went  home  almost  in  despair.  Timothy  consoled  me  as 
well  as  he  could,  and  advised  me  to  go  as  much  as  possible 
into  society,  as  the  most  likely  chance  of  obtaining  my  wish, 
not  that  he  considered  there  was  any  chance,  but  he  thought 
that  amusement  would  restore  me  to  my  usual  spirits.  "  I  will 
go  and  visit  little  Fleta,"  replied  I,  "for  a  few  days  ;  the  sight 
of  her  will  do  me  more  good  than  anything  else."  And  the 

next  day  I  set  off  for  the  town  of ,  where  I  found  the 

dear  little  girl,  much  grown  and  much  improved.  I  remained 
with  her  for  a  week,  walking  with  her  in  the  country,  amusing 
her,  and  amused  myself  with  our  conversation.  At  the  close 
of  the  week  I  bade  her  farewell,  and  returned  to  the  major's 
lodgings. 

I  was  astonished  to  find  him  in  deep  mourning.  "  My  dear 
Carbonnell,"  said  I,  inquiringly,  "  I  hope  no  severe  loss  ?" 

"  Nay,  my  dear  Newland,  I  should  be  a  hypocrite  if  I  said 
so  ;  for  there  never  was  a  more  merry  mourner,  and  that's  the 

truth  of  it.     Mr.  M ,  who,  you  know,  stood  between  me 

and  the  peerage,  has  been  drowned  in  the  Rhone  ;  I  now  have 
a  squeak  for  it.  His  wife  has  one  daughter,  and  is  enceinte. 
Should  the  child  prove  a  boy,  I  am  done  for,  but  if  a  girl,  I 
must  then  come  in  to  the  barony,  and  fifteen  thousand  pounds 
per  annum.  However,  I've  hedged  pretty  handsomely." 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  Why  they  say  that  when  a  woman  commences  with  girls, 
she  generally  goes  on,  and  the  odds  are  two  to  one  that  Mrs 

M has  a  girl.     I  have  taken  the  odds  at  the  clubs  to  the 

amount  of  fifteen  thousand  pounds  ;  so  if  it  be  a  girl  I  shall 
have  to  pay  that  out  of  my  fifteen  thousand  pounds  per  annum, 
as  soon  as  I  fall  into  it ;  if  it  be  a  boy,  and  I  am  floored,  1 
•hall  pocket  thirty  thousand  pounds  by  way  of  consolation  for 
the  disappointment.  They  are  all  good  men." 

41  Yes,  but  they  know  you  never  pay." 

44  They  know  I  never  do  now,  because  I  have  no  money  ; 


156  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

but  they  know  I  will  pay  if  I  come  into  the  estate  ;  ana  so  I 
will,  most  honourably,  besides  a  few  more  thousands  that  I 
have  in  my  book." 

"  I  congratulate  you,  with  all  my  heart,  major.  How  old  If 
the  present  Lord  B ?" 

"  I  have  just  been  examining  the  peerage — he  is  sixty-two  ; 
but  he  is  very  fresh  and  hearty,  and  may  live  a  long  while 
yet.  By-the-by,  Newlaud,  I  committed  a  great  error  last  nigh1 
at  the  club.  I  played  pretty  high,  and  lost  a  great  deal  of 
money." 

"  That  is  unfortunate." 

"  That  was  not  the  error  ;  I  actually  paid  all  my  losings, 
Newland,  and  it  has  reduced  the  stock  amazingly,  I  lost  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  I  know  I  ought  not  to  have  paid 
away  your  money  ;  but  the  fact  was,  as  I  was  hedging,  it 
would  not  do  not  to  have  paid,  as  I  could  not  have  made  up 
my  book  as  I  wished.  It  is,  however,  only  waiting  a  few 

weeks,  till  Mrs.  M decides  my  fate,  and  then,  either  one 

way  or  the  other,  I  shall  have  money  enough.  If  your  people 
won't  give  you  any  more  till  you  are  of  age,  why  we  must 
send  to  a  little  friend  of  mine,  that's  all,  and  you  shall  borrow 
for  both  of  us." 

"  Borrow  !"  replied  I,  not  much  liking  the  idea  ;  "  they  wiL 
never  lend  me  money." 

"  Won't  they  ?"  replied  the  major  :  "no  fear  of  that.  Your 
signature,  and  my  introduction,  will  be  quite  sufficient." 

"  We  had  better  try  to  do  without  it,  major  ;  I  do  not  much 
like  it." 

"  Well,  if  we  can,  we  will  ;  but  I  have  not  fifty  pounds  left 
in  my  desk  ;  how  much  have  you  ?" 

"  About  twenty,"  replied  I,  in  despair  at  this  intelligence  ; 
M  but  I  think  there  is  a  small  sum  left  at  the  banker's  ;  I  drill 
go  and  see."  I  took  up  my  hat  and  set  off  to  ascertain  what 
funds  we  might  have  in  store. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER,  157 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

AM  OVER  HEAD  AND  EARS  IN  TROUBLE  ABOUT  A  LADY'S  EAR 
RINGS  J  COMMIT  MYSELF  SADLY,  AND  AM  VERY  NEARLY  COM 
MITTED. 

I  MUST  say,  that  I  was  much  annoyed  at  this  intelligence.  The 
money-lenders  would  not  be  satisfied  unless  they  knew  where 
my  estates  were,  and  had  examined  the  will  at  Doctors'  Com- 
mons ;  then  all  would  be  exposed  to  the  major,  and  I  should 
be  considered  by  him  as  an  impostor.  I  walked  down  Pall 
Mall  in  a  very  unhappy  mood,  so  deep  in  thought  that  I  ran 
against  a  lady,  who  was  stepping  out  of  her  carriage  at  a 
fashionable  shop.  She  turned  round,  and  I  was  making  my 
best  apologies  to  a  very  handsome  woman,  when  her  ear-rings 
caught  my  attention.  They  were  of  alternate  coral  and  gold 
and  the  fac-simile  in  make  to  the  chain  given  by  Natt^e  to 
Fleta.  During  my  last  visit,  I  had  often  had  the  chain  in  my 
hand,  and  particularly  marked  the  workmanship.  To  make 
more  sure,  I  followed  into  the  shop,  and  stood  behind  her, 
carefully  examining  them,  as  she  looked  over  a  quantity  of 
laces.  There  could  be  no  doubt.  I  waited  till  the  lady  ros* 
to  go  away,  and  then  addressed  the  shopman,  asking  the  lad yV 
name.  He  did  not  know — she  was  a  stranger  ;  but  perhaps 

Mr.  H ,  the  master,  did,  and  he  went  back  to  answer  the 

question.     Mr.  H being  at  that  moment  busy,  the  man 

stayed  so  long,  that  I  heard  the  carriage  drive  off.  Fearful 
of  losing  sight  of  the  lady,  I  took  to  my  heels,  and  ran  out  of 
the  shop.  My  sudden  flight  from  the  counter,  covered  with 
lace,  made  them  imagine  that  I  had  stolen  some,  and  they 
cried  out,  "  Stop  thief,"  as  loud  as  they  could,  springing  over 
the  counter,  and  pursuing  me  as  I  pursued  the  carriage,  which 
was  driven  at  a  rapid  pace. 

A  man  jierceiving  me  running,  and  others,  without  their  hats, 
following,  with  the  cries  of  "  Stop  thief,"  put  out  his  leg,  and 


158  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

I  fell  on  the  pavement,  the  blood  rushing  in  torrents  from  mj 
nose.  I  was  seized,  roughly  handled,  and  again  handed  ovei 
to  the  police,  who  carried  me  before  the  same  magistrate  in 
Marlborough  Street. 

"  What  is  this  ?"  demanded  the  magistrate. 

"  A  shoplifter,  your  worship." 

"  I  am  not,  sir,"  replied  I  ;  "  you  know  me  well  enough,  I  am 
Mr.  Newland." 

"  Mr.  Newland  1"  replied  the  magistrate,  suspiciously  ;  "  this 
is  strange,  a  second  time  to  appear  before  me  upon  such  a 
charge." 

"And just  as  innocent  as  before,  sir." 

"  You'll  excuse  me,  sir,  but  I  must  have  my  suspicions  this 
time.  Where  is  the  evidence  ?M 

The  people  of  the  shop  then  came  forward,  and  stated  what 
had  occurred.  "  Let  him  be  searched,"  said  the  magistrate. 

I  was  searched,  but  nothing  was  found  upon  me.  "  Are  you 
satisfied  now,  sir  ?"  inquired  I. 

"  By  no  means.  Let  the  people  go  back  and  look  over  their 
laces,  and  see  if  any  are  missing  ;  in  the  mean  time  I  shall  de- 
tain you,  for  it  is  very  easy  to  get  rid  of  a  small  article,  such 
as  lace,  when  you  are  caught." 

The  men  went  away,  and  I  wrote  a  note  to  Major  Carbon- 
nell,  requesting  his  attendance.  He  arrived  at  the  same  time 
as  the  shopman,  and  I  told  him  what  had  happened.  The  shop- 
man declared  that  the  stock  was  not  correct  ;  as  far  as  they 
could  judge,  there  were  two  pieces  of  lace  missing. 

"  If  so,  I  did  not  take  them,"  replied  I. 

"  Upon  my  honour,  Mr.  B ,"  said  the  major,  to  the  ma- 
gistrate, "  it  is  very  hard  for  a  gentleman  to  be  treated  in  this 
manner.  This  is  the  second  time  that  I  have  been  sent  for  to 
vouch  for  his  respectability." 

"  Very  true,  sir,"  replied  the  magistrate  ;  "  but  allow  me  k, 
ask  Mr.  Newland,  as  he  calls  himself,  what  induced  him  to  fol 
low  a  lady  into  the  shop  ?" 

"  Her  ear-rings,"  replied  I. 


JAPHET.  IN  SEARCH  01"  A  FATHER.          159 

"  Her  ear-rings  !  why,  sir,  the  last  time  you  were  brought 
before  me,  you  said  it  was  after  a  gentleman's  nose — now  it 
appears  you  were  attracted  by  a  lady's  ears  ;  and  pray,  sir, 
what  induced  you  to  run  out  of  the  shop  ?" 

"Because  I  wanted  particularly  to  inquire  about  her  ear 
rings,  sir." 

"  I  cannot  understand  these  paltry  excuses  ;  there  are,  it  ap- 
pears, two  pieces  of  lace  missing.  I  must  remand  you  for  fur- 
ther examination,  sir  ;  and  you  also,  sir,"  said  the  magistrate, 
to  Major  Carbonnell  ;  "  for  if  he  is  a  swindler,  you  must  be  an 
accomplice." 

"  Sir,"  replied  Major  Carbonnell,  sneeringly,  "  you  are  cer- 
tainly a  very  good  judge  of  a  gentleman,  when  you  happen 
by  accident  to  be  in  his  company.  With  your  leave  I  will  send 
a  note  to  another  confederate." 

The  major  then  wrote  a  note  to  Lord  Windermear,  which  he 
despatched  by  Timothy,  who,  hearing  I  was  in  trouble,  had  ac- 
companied the  major.  And  while  he  was  away,  the  major  and 
I  sat  down,  he  giving  himself  all  manner  of  airs,  much  to  the 
annoyance  of  the  magistrate,  who  at  last  threatened  to  com- 
mit him  immediately.  "  You'll  repent  this,"  replied  the  major, 
who  perceived  Lord  Windermear  coming  in. 

"You  shall  repent  it,  sir,  by  God,"  cried  the  magistrate,  in  a 
great  passion. 

"  Put  five  shillings  in  the  box  for  swearing,  Mr.  B .   You 

fine  other  people,"  said  the  major.    "  Here  is  my  other  confede- 
rate, Lord  Windermear." 

"Carbonnell,"  said  Lord  Windermear,  "what  is  all  this  ?" 

"  Nothing,  my  lord,  except  that  our  friend  Newland  is  taken 
up  for  shoplifting,  because  he  thought  proper  to  run  after  a 
pretty  woman's  carriage  ;  and  I  am  accused  by  his  worship  of 
being  his  confederate.  I  could  forgive  his  suspicions  of  Mr. 
Newland  in  that  plight ;  but  as  for  his  taking  me  for  one  of  the 
gwell  mob  it  proves  a  great  deficiency  of  judgment ;  perhaps  he 
iwll  commit  your  lordship  also,  as  he  may  not  be  aware  that 
your  lordship's  person  is  above  caption." 


100  JAl'HET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER. 

"  I  can  assure  you,  sir,"  said  Lord  Windermear,  proudly 
".that  this  is  my  relative,  Major  Carbonnell,  ana  the  other  is 
my  friend,  Mr.  Newland.  I  will  bail  them  for  any  sum  you 
please." 

The  magistrate  felt  astonished  and  annoyed,  for,  after  all,  he 
had  only  done  his  duty.  Before  he  could  reply,  a  man  came 
from  the  shop  to  say  that  the  laces  had  been  found  all  right. 
Lord  Windermear  then  took  me  aside,  and  I  narrated  what  had 
happened.  He  recollected  the  story  of  Fleta  in  my  narrative 
of  my  life,  and  felt  that  I  was  right  in  trying  to  find  out  who 
the  lady  was.  The  magistrate  now  apologised  for  the  detention, 
but  explained  to  his  lordship  how  I  had  before  made  my  appear- 
ance upon  another  charge,  and  with  a  low  bow  we  were  dis- 
missed. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Newland,"  said  his  lordship,  "  I  trust  that 
this  will  be  a  warning  to  you,  not  to  run  after  other  people's 
noses  and  ear-rings  ;  at  the  same  time,  I  will  certainly  keep 
a  look-out  for  those  very  ear-rings  myself.  Major,  I  wish  you 
a  good  morning." 

His  lordship  then  shook  us  both  by  the  hand,  and  saying 
that  he  should  be  glad  to  see  more  of  me  than  he  latterly 
had  done,  stepped  into  his  carriage  and  drove  off. 

"  What  the  devil  did  his  lordship  mean  about  ear-rings,  New- 
land  ?"  inquired  the  major. 

"  I  told  him  that  I  was  examining  the  lady's  ear-rings  as  very 
remarkable,"  replied  I. 

"  You  appear  to  be  able  to  deceive  every  body  but  me,  my 
good  fellow.  I  know  that  you  were  examining  the  lady  her- 
self." I  left  the  major  in  his  error,  by  making  no  reply 


JAl'HET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  161 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

\ 

I  BORROW   MONET   UPON   MY    ESTATE,   AND   UPON   VERY  FAVOURABLE 

TERMS. 

WHEN  I  came  down  to  breakfast  the  next  morning,  the  major 
laid,  "  My  dear  Newland,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  request 
ing  a  very  old  friend  of  mine  to  come  and  meet  you  this 
morning.  I  will  not  disguise  from  you  that  it  is  Emmanuel, 
the  money-lender.  Money  you  must  have  until  my  affairs  are 
decided,  one  way  or  the  other  ;  and,  in  this  instance,  I  will 
most  faithfully  repay  the  sum  borrowed,  as  soon  as  I  receive  the 
amount  of  my  bets,  or  am  certain  of  succeeding  to  the  title, 
which  is  one  and  the  same  thing." 

I  bit  my  lips,  for  I  was  not  a  little  annoyed  ;  but  what  could 
be  done  ?  I  must  have  either  confessed  my  real  situation  to 
the  major,  or  have  appeared  to  raise  scruples,  which,  as  the 
supposed  heir  to  a  large  fortune,  would  have  appeared  to  him 
to  be  very  frivolous.  I  thought  it  better  to  let  the  affair  take 
its  chance.  "  Well,"  replied  I,  "  if  it  must  be,  it  most  be;  but 
it  shall  be  on  my  own  terms." 

"  Nay,"  observed  the  major,  "  there  is  no  fear  but  thaV 
he  will  consent,  and  without  any  trouble." 

After  a  moment's  reflection  I  went  op  stairs  and  rang  for 
Timothy.  "  Tim,"  said  I,  "  hear  me  ;  I  now  make  you  a 
solemn  promise,  on  my  honour  as  a  gentleman,  that  I  will  never 
borrow  money  upon  interest,  and  until  you  release  me  from  it,  I 
shall  adhere  to  my  word." 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  replied  Timothy  ;  "  I  guess  your  reason  for 
o  doing,  and  I  expect  you  will  keep  your  word.     Is  that  all  ?" 

"  Yes  ;  now  you  may  take  up  the  urn." 

We  had  finished  our  breakfast,  when  Timothy  announced 
Mr.  Emmanuel,  who  followed  him  into  the  room.  "  Well,  Old 
Cent,  per  Cent.,  how  are  you  ?"  said  the  major.  "  Allow  me  to 
introduce  my  most  particular  friend,  Mr.  Newland." 


162  JAriiKT,    IN    SEARCH    ,  K   A   FATHER. 

"  Auh  !  Master  Major  1"  replied  the  descendant  of  Abra- 
ham, a  little  puny  creature,  bent  double  with  infirmity,  and 
carrying  one  hand  behind  his  back,  as  if  to  counter-balance 
the  projection  of  his  head  and  shoulders.  "  You  vash  please  to 
call  me  Shent.  per  Shent.  I  wish  I  vash  able  to  make  de 
monies  pay  that.  Mr.  Newland,  can  I  be  of  any  little  shervice 
to  you  ?" 

"  Sit  down,  sit  down,  Emmanuel.  You  have  my  warrant  for 
Mr.  Newland's  respectability,  and  the  sooner  we  get  over  the 
business  the  better." 

"  Auh,  Mr.  Major,  it  ish  true,  you  was  recommend  many 
good — no,  not  always  good — customers  to  me,  and  I  was  very 
much  obliged.  Vat  can  I  do  for  your  handsome  young  friend  ? 
De  young  gentlemen  always  vant  money  ;  and  it  is  de  youth 
which  is  de  tune  for  de  pleasure  and  enjoyment." 

11  He  wants  a  thousand  pounds,  Emmanuel." 

"  Dat  is  a  large  sum — one  thousand  pounds  !  he  does  not 
yaut  any  more  ?" 

"No,"  replied  I,  "that  will  be  sufficient." 

"  Vel,  den,  I  have  de  monish  in  my  pocket.  I  will  just  beg 
de  young  gentleman  to  sign  a  little  memorandum,  dat  I  may 
von  day  receive  my  monish." 

"  But  what  is  that  to  be  ?"  interrupted  I. 

"  It  will  be  to  promise  to  pay  me  my  monish  and  only  fifteen 
per  shent.,  when  you  come  into  your  own." 

"  That  will  not  do,"  replied  I  ;  "  I  have  pledged  my  solemn 
word  of  honour,  that  I  will  not  borrow  money  on  interest." 

"  And  you  have  given  de  pledge,  but  you  did  not  swear  upot 
de  book  ?" 

"  No,  but  my  word  has  been  given,  and  that  is  enough  ;  if  1 
would  forfeit  my  word  with  those  to  whom  I  have  given  it,  I 
would  also  forfeit  my  word  with  you.  My  keeping  my  promise, 
ought  to  be  a  pledge  to  you  that  I  will  keep  my  promise  to  you.'* 

"  Dat  is  veil  said — very  well  said  ;  but  deu  we  must  manage 
eonie  odcr  way.  Suppose — let  me  shee — how  old  are  you,  my 
young  sir?" 


JAPHET,  IN'  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  163 

11  Past  twenty." 

"  Auh,  dat  is  a  very  pleasant  age,  dat  twenty.  Veil,  den, 
you  shall  shign  a  leetle  bit  of  paper,  that  you  pay  me  ^£2000 
ven  you  come  into  your  properties,  on  condition  dat  I  pay  now 
one  tousand.  Dat  is  very  fair — ish  it  not  Mr.  Major  ?" 

"  Rather  too  hard,  Emmanuel." 

"  But  de  rishque — de  rishque,  Mr.  Major." 

"  I  will  not  agree  to  those  terms,"  replied  I ;  "  you  must 
take  your  money  away,  Mr.  Emmanuel." 

"  Veil,  den — vat  vill  you  pay  me?" 

"  I  will  sign  an  agreement  to  pay  you  ^£1500  for  the  thou- 
sand, if  you  please  ;  if  that  will  not  suit  you,  I  will  try  else- 
where." 

"  Dat  is  very  bad  bargain.     How  old,  you  shay  ?" 

"  Twenty.* 

"  Veil,  I  shuppose  I  must  oblige  you,  and  my  very  good 
friend,  de  major." 

Mr.  Emmanuel  drew  out  his  spectacles,  pen,  and  ink-horn, 
filled  up  a  bond,  and  handed  it  to  me  to  sign.  I  read  it  care- 
fully over,  and  signed  it  ;  he  then  paid  down  the  money,  and 
took  his  leave. 

It  may  appear  strange  to  the  reader  that  the  money  was 
obtained  so  easily,  but  he  must  remember  that  the  major  was 
considered  a  person  who  universally  attached  himself  to  young 
men  of  large  fortune  ;  he  had  already  been  the  means  of 
throwing  many  profitable  speculations  into  the  hands  of  Em- 
manuel, and  the  latter  put  implicit  confidence  in  him.  The 
money-lenders  also  are  always  on  the  look-out  for  young  men 
with  large  fortunes,  and  have  their  names  registered.  Emman- 
uel had  long  expected  me  to  come  to  him  ;  and  although  it  was 
his  intention  to  hare  examined  more  particularly,  and  not  to 
have  had  the  money  prepared,  yet  my  refusal  to  sign  the  bond, 
oearing  interest,  and  my  disputing  the  terms  uf  the  second  pro 
posal,  blinded  him  completely,  and  put  him  off  his  usual  guard. 

"  Upon  my  word,  Newland,  you  obtained  better  terms  than 
t  could  have  expected  from  the  old  Hunks." 


164  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Much  better  than  I  expected  also,  major,"  replied  I  ;  "  but 
now,  how  much  of  the  money  would  you  like  to  have  ?" 

11  My  dear  fellow,  this  is  very  handsome  of  you  ;  but,  I  thank 
Heaven,  I  shall  be  soon  able  to  repay  it ;  but  what  pleases  me, 
Newland,  is  your  perfect  confidence  in  one,  whom  the  rest  of 
the  world  would  not  trust  with  a  shilling.  I  will  accept  your 
offer  as  freely  as  it  is  made,  and  take  JB500,  just  to  make  a 
show  for  the  few  weeks  that  I  am  in  suspense,  and  then  you 
will  find,  that,  with  all  my  faults,  I  am  not  deficient  hi  grati- 
tude." I  divided  the  money  with  the  major,  and  he  shortly 
afterwards  went  out. 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Timothy,  entering,  full  of  curiosity,  "  what 
have  you  done  ?" 

"  I  have  borrowed  a  thousand  to  pay  fifteen  hundred  when  I 
come  into  my  property." 

"You  are  safe  then.  Excellent,  and  the  Jew  will  be 
bit." 

"  No,  Timothy,  I  intend  to  repay  it  as  soon  as  I  can." 

"  I  should  like  to  know  when  that  will  be." 

"  So  should  I,  Tim,  for  it  mnst  depend  upon  my  finding  out 
my  parentage."  Heigho,  thought  I,  when  shall  I  ever  find  out 
who  is  my  father  ? 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE    MAJOR   IS    VERY    FORTUNATE    AND    VERT   UNFORTUNATE HB 

RECEIVES  A  LARGE  SUM  IN  GOLD  AND  ONE  OUNCE  OF  LEAD. 

I  DRESSED  and  went  out,  met  Harcourt,  dined  with  him,  and  on 
my  return  the  Major  had  not  come  home.  It  was  then  past 
midnight,  and  feeling  little  inclination  to  sleep,  I  remained  in 
the  drawing-room,  waiting  for  his  arrival.  About  three  o'clock 
he  came  in,  flushed  in  the  face,  and  apparently  in  high  good 
humour. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  165 

"  Newland,"  said  he,  throwing  his  pocket-book  on  the  table, 
just  open  that  and  then  you  will  open  your  eyes." 

I  obeyed  him,  and  to  my  surprise  took  out  a  bundle  of  bank- 
notes ;    I   counted   up   their   value,    and   they  amounted    to 
£3,500. 

"  You  have  been  fortunate,  indeed." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  major  ;  "  knowing  that  in  a  short  time  I 
ahai!  be  certain  of  cash,  one  way  or  the  other,  I  had  resolved  to 
try  my  luck  with  the  £500.  I  went  to  the  hazard  table,  and 
threw  in  seventeen  times — hedged  upon  the  deuce  ace,  and 
threw  out  with  it — voild.  They  won't  catch  me  there  again  in 
a  hurry — luck  like  that  only  comes  once  in  a  man's  life  ;  but, 
Japhet,  there  is  a  little  drawback  to  all  this.  I  shall  require 
your  kind  attendance  in  two  or  three  hours." 

"  Why,  what's  the  matter  ?" 

**  Merely  an  affair  of  honour,  I  was  insulted  by  a  vagabond, 
and  we  meet  at  six  o'clock." 

II  A  vagabond — but  surely,  Carbonnell,  you  will  not  con- 
descend   " 

"  My  dear  fellow,  although  as  great  a  vagabond  as  there  is 
on  the  face  of  the  earth,  yet  he  is  a  peer  of  the  realm,  and  his 
title  warrants  the  meeting — but,  after  all,  what  is  it  ?" 

"  I  trust  it  will  be  nothing,  Carbonnell,  but  still  it  may  prove 
otherwise." 

"  Granted  :  and  what  then,  my  dear  Newland  ?  we  all  owe 
Heaven  a  death,  and  if  1  am  floored,  why  then  I  shall  no  longer 
be  anxious  about  title  or  fortune." 

"  It's  a  bad  way  of  settling  a  dispute,"  replied  I  gravely. 

"  There  is  no  other,  Newland.  How  would  society  be  held 
in  check  if  it  were  not  for  duelling  ?  We  should  all  be  a  set  of 
bears  living  in  a  bear-garden.  I  presume  you  have  never  been 
out  ?" 

"Never,"  replied  I,  "and  had  hoped  that  I  never  should 
have." 

"  Then  you  must  have  better  fortune,  or  better  temper  than 
most  ethers,  if  you  pass  through  life  without  an  affair  of  th.s 


166  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

kind  on  your  hands.  I  mean  as  principal,  not  as  second.  But, 
nay  dear  fellow,  I  must  give  you  a  little  advice,  relative  to  your 
behaviour  as  a  second  ;  for  I'm  very  particular  on  these  occa- 
sions, and  like  that  things  should  be  done  very  correctly.  It 
will  never  do,  my  dear  Newland,  that  you  appear  on  the  ground 
with  that  melancholy  face.  I  do  not  mean  that  you  should 
laugh,  or  even  smile,  that  would  be  equally  out  of  character,  bu* 
you  should  show  yourself  perfectly  calm  and  indifferent.  In  your 
behaviour  towards  the  other  second,  you  must  be  most  scrupu- 
lously polite,  but,  at  the  same  tune,  never  give  up  a  point  of 
dispute,  in  which  my  interest  may  be  concerned.  Even  in  your 
walk  be  slow,  and  move,  as  much  as  the  ground  will  allow  you, 
as  if  you  were  in  a  drawing-room.  Never  remain  silent ;  offer 
even  trivial  remarks,  rather  than  appear  distrait.  There  is  one 
point  of  great  importance — I  refer  to  choosing  the  ground,  in 
which,  perhaps,  you  will  require  my  unperceived  assistance. 
Any  decided  line  behind  me  would  be  very  advantageous  to  my 
adversary,  such  as  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  post,  &c.  ;  even  an  ele- 
vated light  or  dark  ground  behind  me  is  uuadvisable.  Choose 
if  you  can,  a  broken  light,  as  it  affects  the  correctness  of  the 
aim  ;  but  as  you  will  not  probably  be  able  to  manage  this  satis- 
factorily, I  will  assist  you.  When  on  the  ground,  after  having 
divided  the  sun  fairly  between  us,  I  will  walk  about  uncon- 
cernedly, and  when  I  perceive  a  judicious  spot,  I  will  take  a 
pinch  of  snuff  and  use  my  handkerchief,  turning  at  the  same 
time  in  the  direction  in  which  I  wish  my  adversary  to  be  placed. 
Take  your  cue  from  that,  and  with  all  suavity  of  manner,  insist 
as  much  as  you  can  upon  our  being  so  placed.  That  must  be 
left  to  your  own  persuasive  powers.  I  believe  I  have  now 
stated  all  that  is  necessary,  and  I  must  prepare  my  instru- 
ments." 

The  major  then  went  into  his  own  room,  and  I  never  felt 
more  nervous  or  more  unhinged  than  after  this  conversation. 
1  had  a  melancholy  foreboding,  but  that  I  believe  every  one 
has,  when  he,  for  the  first  time,  has  to  assist  at  a  mortal  rencon- 
tre. I  was  in  a  deep  musing  when  he  returned  with  his  pistols 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  167 

and  all  the  necessary  apparatus  ;  and  when  the  major  pointed 
out  to  me,  and  made  me  once  or  twice  practice  the  setting  of 
the  hair  triggers,  which  is  the  duty  of  the  second,  an  involun- 
tary shudder  came  over  me. 

"  Why,  Newland,  what  is  the  matter  with  you  ?  I  thought 
that  you  had  more  nerve." 

"  I  probably  should  show  more,  Carbonnell,  were  I  the  prin- 
cipal instead  of  the  second,  but  I  cannot  bear  the  reflection 
that  some  accident  should  happen  to  you.  You  are  the  only 
one  with  whom  I  have  been  on  terms  of  friendship,  and  the  idea 
of  losing  you  is  very,  very  painful." 

"  Newland,  you  really  quite  unman  me,  and  you  may  now 
eee  a  miracle,"  continued  Carbonnell,  as  he  pressed  his  hand  to 
his  eye,  "  the  moisture  of  a  tear  on  the  cheek  of  a  London 
roue,  a  man  of  the  world,  who  has  long  lived  for  himself  and 
for  this  world  only.  It  never  would  be  credited  if  asserted. 
Newland,  there  was  a  tune  when  I  was  like  yourself — the  world 
took  advantage  of  my  ingenuousness  and  inexperience  ;  my 
good  feelings  were  the  cause  of  my  ruin,  and  then,  by  degrees, 
I  became  as  callous  and  as  hardened  as  the  world  himself.  My 
dear  fellow,  I  thought  all  affection,  all  sentiment,  dried  up 
within  me,  but  it  is  not  the  case.  You  have  made  me  feel  that 
I  have  still  a  heart,  and  that  I  can  love  you.  But  this  is  all 
romance,  and  not  fitted  for  the  present  time.  It  is  now  five 
o'clock,  let  us  be  on  the  ground  early — it  will  give  us  an 
advantage." 

"  I  do  not  much  like  speaking  to  you  on  the  subject,  Carbon- 
nell ;  but  is  there  nothing  that  you  might  wish  done  in  case  of 
accident  ?w 

"  Nothing — why  yes.  I  may  as  well.  Give  me  a  sheet  of 
paper."  The  major  sat  down  and  wrote  for  a  few  minutes 
"  Now  send  Timothy  and  another  here.  Timothy,  and  you,  sir, 
see  me  sign  this  paper,  and  put  my  seal  to  it.  I  deliver  this  as 
my  act  and  deed.  Put  your  names  as  witnesses."  They  com- 
plied with  his  request,  and  then  the  major  desired  Timothy  to 
sail  a  hackney-coach.  "  Newland,"  said  the  major,  putting  the 


168  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER. 

paper,  folded  up,  in  my  pocket,  along  with  the  bank  notes 
"  take  care  of  this  for  me  till  we  come  back." 

"  The  coach  Is  at  the  door,  sir,"  said  Timothy,  looking  at  me, 
ab  if  to  say,  "  What  can  all  this  be  about  ?" 

"  You  may  come  with  us  and  see,"  said  the  major,  observing 
Tim's  countenance,  "  and  put  that  case  into  the  coach."  Tim, 
who  knew  that  it  was  the  major's  case  of  pistols,  appeared  still 
more  alarmed,  and  stood  still  without  obeying  the  order. 
"  Never  mind,  Tim,  your  master  is  not  the  one  who  is  to  use 
them,"  said  the  major,  patting  him  on  the  shoulder. 

Timothy,  relieved  by  this  intelligence,  went  down  stairs  with 
the  pistols  ;  we  followed  him.  Tim  mounted  on  the  box,  and 
we  drove  to  Chalk  Farm.  "  Shall  the  coach  wait '"  inquired 
Timothy. 

"  Yes,  by  all  means,"  replied  I,  in  a  low  voice.  "We  arrived 
at  the  usual  ground,  where  disputes  of  this  kind  were  generally 
settled  ;  and  the  major  took  a  survey  of  it  with  great  composure. 

"  Now  observe,  Japhet,"  said  he,  if  you  can  contrive ; 

but  here  they  are.  I  will  give  you  the  notice  agreed  upon." 
The  peer,  whose  title  was  Lord  Tineholine,  now  came  up  with 
his  second,  whom  he  introduced  to  me  as  Mr.  Osborn.  "  Mr. 
Newland,"  replied  the  major,  saluting  Mr.  Osborn  in  return. 
We  both  took  off  our  hats,  bowed,  and  then  proceeded  to  our 
duty.  I  must  do  my  adversary's  second  the  justice  to  say,  that 
his  politeness  was  fully  equal  to  mine.  There  was  no  mention, 
on  either  side,  of  explanations  and  retractions — the  insult  was 
too  gross,  and  the  character  of  his  lordship,  as  well  as  that  of 
Major  Carbonnell,  was  too  well  known.  Twelve  paces  were 
proposed  by  Mr.  Osborn,  and  agreed  to  by  me — the  pistols  of 
Major  Carbonnell  were  gained  by  drawing  lots — we  had 
nothing  more  to  do  than  to  place  our  principals.  The  major 
took  out  his  snuff-box,  took  a  pinch,  and  blew  his  nose,  turning 
towards  a  copse  of  beech-trees. 

"With  your  permission,  I  will  mark  out  the  ground,  Mr. 
Osborn,"  said  I,  walking  up  to  the  major,  and  intending  to  pace 
twelve  paces  in  the  direction  towards  which  he  faced 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  169 

"Allow  me  to  observe  that  I  think  a  little  more  in  this 
direction  would  be  more  fair  for  both  parties,"  said  Mr 
Osborn. 

"It  would  so,  my  dear  sir,"  replied  I;  "but,  submitting 
to  your  superior  judgment,  perhaps  it  may  not  have  struck  you 
that  my  principal  will  have  rather  too  much  of  the  sun.  I  am 
incapable  of  taking  any  advantage,  but  I  should  not  do  my 
duty  if  I  did  not  see  every  justice  done  to  the  major,  who  has 
confided  to  me  in  this  unpleasant  affair.  I  put  it  to  you,  sir, 
as  a  gentleman  and  man  of  honour,  whether  I  am  claiming  too 
much  ?"  A  little  amicable  altercation  took  place  on  this  point 
bnt  finding  that  I  would  not  yield,  and  that  at  every  reply  I 
was  more  and  more  polite  and  bland  in  my  deportment,  Mr. 
Osborn  gave  up  the  point.  I  walked  the  twelve  paces,  and  Mr. 
Osborn  placed  his  principal.  I  observed  that  Lord  Tineholuie 
did  not  appear  pleased  ;  he  expostulated  with  him,  but  it  was 
then  too  late.  The  pistols  had  been  already  loaded — the  choice 
was  given  to  his  lordship,  and  Major  Carbonnell  received  the 
other  from  my  hand,  which  actually  trembled,  while  his  was 
firm.  I  requested  Mr.  Osborn  to  drop  the  handkerchief,  as  I 
could  not  make  up  my  mind  to  give  a  signal  which  might  be 
fatal  to  the  major.  They  fired — Lord  Tineholme  fell  imme- 
diately— the  major  remained  on  his  feet  for  a  second  or  two, 
and  then  sank  down  on  the  ground.  I  hastened  up  to  him. 
"  Where  are  you  hurt  ?" 

The  major  put  his  hand  to  his  hip — "  I  am  hit  hard,  New- 
land,  but  not  so  hard  as  he  is.  Run  and  see." 

I  left  the  major,  and  went  up  to  where  Lord  Tineholme  lay, 
bis  head  raised  on  the  knee  of  his  second. 

"  It  is  all  orer  with  him,  Mr.  Newland,  the  ball  has  passed 
.hrough  his  brain." 


170  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

rHK   MAJOR   PAYS  THE   ONLY  DEBT   OF   CONSEQUENCE   HE    EVER   DID 
PAY,    AND    I    FIND    MYSELF    A    MAN    OF    PROPERTY. 

I  HASTENED  back  to  the  major,  to  examine  his  wound,  and, 
with  the  assistance  of  Timothy,  I  stripped  him  sufficiently  to 
ascertain  that  the  ball  had  entered  his  hip,  and  probing  the 
wound  with  my  finger,  it  appeared  that  it  had  glanced  off  in 
the  direction  of  the  intestines  ;  the  suffusion  of  blood  was  very 
trifling,  which  alarmed  me  still  more. 

"  Could  you  bear  removal,  major,  in  the  coach  ?" 
"  I  cannot  tell,  but  we  must  try  :  the  sooner  I  am  home  the 
better,  Japhet,"  replied  he,  faintly. 

With  the  assistance  of  Timothy,  I  put  him  into  the  hackney- 
coach,  and  we  drove  off,  after  I  had  taken  off  my  hat  and  made 
my  obeisance  to  Mr.  Osborn,  an  effort  of  politeness  which  I 
certainly  should  have  neglected,  had  I  not  been  reminded  of  it 
by  my  principal.  We  set  off,  and  the  major  bore  his  journey 
very  well,  making  no  complaint ;  but  on  our  arrival  he  fainted 
as  we  lifted  him  out.  As  soon  as  he  was  on  the  bed,  I 
despatched  Timothy  for  a  surgeon.  On  his  arrival  he  examined 
the  wound,  and  shook  his  head.  Taking  me  into  the  next  room, 
he  declared  his  opinion,  that  the  ball  had  passed  into  the  intes- 
tines, which  were  severed,  and  that  there  was  no  hope.  I  sat 
down  and  covered  up  my  face — the  tears  rolled  down  and 
trickled  through  my  fingers — it  was  the  first  heavy  blow  I  had 
yet  received.  Without  kindred  or  connections,  I  felt  that  I 
was  about  to  lose  one  who  was  dear  to  me.  To  another,  not 
in  my  situation,  it  might  have  only  produced  a  temporary  grief 
at  the  near  loss  of  a  friend  ;  but  to  me,  who  was  almost  alone 
iii  the  world,  the  loss  was  heavy  in  the  extreme.  Whom  had 
I  to  fly  to  for  solace  ? — there  were  Timothy  and  Fleta — one 
who  performed  the  duty  of  a  servant  to  me,  and  a  child.  I  felt 
that  they  were  not  sufficient,  and  my  heart  was  chilled. 


JAPHET,  iN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          171 

The  surgeon  had,  in  the  mean  time,  returned  to  the  major, 
and  dressed  the  wound.  The  major,  who  had  recovered  from 
his  weakness,  asked  him  his  candid  opinion.  "  We  must  hope 
for  the  best,  sir,"  replied  the  surgeon. 

"  That  is  to  say,  there  is  no  hope,"  replied  the  major  ;  "and 
I  feel  that  you  are  right.  How  long  do  you  think,  that  I  may 
live  r 

"  If  the  wound  does  not  take  a  favourable  turn,  about  forty- 
eight  hours,  sir,"  replied  the  surgeon  :  "  but  we  must  hope  for 
a  more  fortunate  issue." 

"  In  a  dead-bed  case  you  medical  men  are  like  lawyers," 
replied  the  major,  "  there  is  no  getting  a  straightforward 
answer  from  you.  Where  is  Mr.  Newland  ?" 

"  Here  I  am,  Carbonnell,"  said  I,  taking  his  hand. 

"  My  dear  fellow,  I  know  it  is  all  over  with  me,  and  you,  of 
course,  know  it  as  well  as  I  do.  Do  not  think  that  it  is 
a  source  of  much  regret  to  me  to  leave  this  rascally  world — 
indeed  it  is  not ;  but  I  do  feel  sorry,  very  sorry,  to  leave  you. 
The  doctor  tells  me  I  shall  live  forty-eight  hours  ;  but  I  have 
an  idea  that  I  shall  not  live  so  many  minutes.  I  feel  my 
Htrength  gradually  failing  me.  Depend  upon  it,  my  dear  New 
land,  there  is  an  internal  hemorrhage.  My  dear  fellow,  I  shall 
not  be  able  to  speak  soon.  I  have  left  you  my  executor  and 
sole  beir.  I  wish  there  was  more  for  you — it  will  last  you,  how- 
ever, till  you  come  of  age.  That  was  a  lucky  hit  last  night, 
but  a  very  unlucky  one  this  morning.  Bury  me  like  a  gentle- 
man." 

"  My  dear  Carbonnell,"  said  I,  "  would  you  not  like  to  see 
somebody — a  clergyman  ?" 

"  Newland,  excuse  me.  I  do  not  refuse  it  out  of  disrespect, 
or  because  I  do  not  believe  in  the  tenets  of  Christianity  ;  but  I 
cunnot  believe  that  my  repentance  at  this  late  hour  can  be  of 
any  avail  If  I  have  not  been  sorry  for  the  life  I  have  lived — 
if  1  have  not  had  my  moments  of  remorse — if  I  have  not  pro- 
mised to  amend,  and  intended  to  have  so  done,  and  I  trust  I 
have — what  avails  my  repentance  now  ?  No,  no,  Japhet,  as  1 


172  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER. 

have  sown  so  must  I  reap,  and  trust  to  the  mercy  of  Heaven 
God  only  knows  all  our  hearts;  and  I  would  fain  believe  that  1 
may  find  more  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  Almighty,  than  I  have 

in  this  world  from  those  who but  we  must  not  judge. 

Give  me  to  drink,  Japhet — I  am  sinking  fast.  God  bless  you, 
my  dear  fellow." 

The  major  sank  on  his  pillow,  after  he  had  moistened  his  lips, 
and  spoke  no  more.  With  his  hand  clasped  in  mine  he  gradu- 
ally sank,  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  his  eyes  were  fixed,  and 
all  was  over.  He  was  right  in  his  conjectures — an  artery  had 
been  divided,  and  he  had  bled  to  death.  The  surgeon  came 
again  just  before  he  was  dead,  for  I  had  sent  for  him.  "  It  is 
better  as  it  is,"  said  he  to  me.  "  Had  he  not  bled  to  death,  he 
would  have  suffered  forty-eight  hours  of  extreme  agony  from 
the  mortification  which  must  have  ensued."  He  closed  the 
major's  eyes  and  took  his  leave,  and  I  hastened  into  the  drawing- 
room  and  sent  for  Timothy,  with  whom  I  sate  in  a  long  conver- 
sation on  this  unfortunate  occurrence,  and  my  future  prospects. 

My  grief  for  the  death  of  the  major  was  sincere  ;  much 
may  indeed  be  ascribed  to  habit,  from  our  long  residence  and 
companionship  ;  but  more  to  the  knowledge  that  the  major, 
with  all  his  faults,  had  redeeming  qualities,  and  that  the  world 
had  driven  him  to  become  what  he  had  been.  I  had  the  further 
conviction,  that  he  was  attached  to  me,  and  in  my  situation, 
any  thing  like  affection  was  most  precious.  His  funeral  was 
handsome,  without  being  ostentatious,  and  I  paid  every  demand 
upon  him  which  I  knew  to  be  just — many,  indeed,  that  were 
not  sent  in,  from  a  supposition  that  any  claim  made  would  be 
useless.  His  debts  were  not  much  above  JE200,  and  these  debts 
had  never  been  expected  to  be  liquidated  by  those  who  had 
given  him  credit.  The  paper  he  had  written,  and  had  been 
witnessed  by  Timothy  and  another,  was  a  short  will,  in  which 
be  left  me  his  sole  heir  and  executor.  The  whole  of  his  pro- 
perty consisted  of  his  house  in  St.  James's  Street,  the  contents 
of  his  pocket-book  intrusted  to  my  care,  and  his  personal 
effects,  which,  especially  in  bijouterie,  were  valuable.  The  house 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  173 

was  worth  about  £4,000,  as  he  had  told  me.  In  his  pocket- 
book  were  notes  to  the  amount  of  £3,500,  and  his  other  effects 
might  be  valued  at  £400.  With  all  his  debts  and  funeral  ex- 
penses liquidated,  and  with  my  own  money,  I  found  myself  in 
possession  of  about  £8,000 — a  sum  which  never  could  hare 
been  credited,  for  it  was  generally  supposed  that  he  died  worth 
less  than  nothing,  having  lived  for  a  long  while  upon  a  capital 
of  a  similar  value. 

"  I  cannot  but  say,"  observed  Timothy,  "  that  this  is  very 
fortunate.  Had  the  major  not  persuaded  you  to  borrow  money, 
he  never  would  have  won  so  large  a  sum.  Had  he  lived,  he 
would  have  squandered  it  away  ;  but  just  in  the  nick  of  time 
he  is  killed,  and  makes  you  his  heir." 

"  There  is  truth  in  your  observation,  Timothy  ;  but  now  you 
must  go  to  Mr.  Emmanuel,  that  I  may  pay  him  off.  I  will 
repay  the  £1,000  lent  me  by  Lord  Windennear  into  his 
banker's,  and  then  I  must  execute  one  part  of  the  poor  major's 
will.  He  left  his  diamond  solitaire  as  a  memento  to  his  lord- 
ship. Bring  it  to  me,  and  I  will  call  and  present  it." 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

A  CHAPTER  FULL  OF  MORALITY,  WHICH  ENDS  IN  A  JEW  REFUSING 
UPWARDS  OF  £1000,  PROVING  THE  MILLENNIUM  TO  BE  NEARLY 
AT  HAND. 

THIS  conversation  took  place  the  day  after  the  funeral,  and, 
attired  in  deep  mourning,  I  called  upon  his  lordship,  und  was 
admitted.  His  lordship  had  sent  his  carriage  to  attend  the 
funeral,  and  was  also  in  mourning  when  he  received  me.  I 
executed  my  commission,  and  after  a  long  conversation  with 
his  lordship,  in  which  I  confided  to  him  the  contents  of  the 
will,  ani  the  amount  of  property  of  the  deceased,  I  rose  to 
lake  my  leave. 


174  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Newland,"  said  he,  "but  what  do  you  now 
propose  to  do  ?  I  confess  I  feel  a  strong  interest  about  you, 
and  had  wished  that  you  had  come  to  me  oftener  without  an 
invitation.  I  perceive  that  you  never  will.  Have  you  no 
intention  of  following  up  any  pursuit  ?" 

"  Yes,  my  lord,  I  intend  to  search  after  my  father  ;  and  1 
trust  that,  by  husbanding  my  unexpected  resources,  I  shall  now 
be  able." 

"You  have  the  credit,  in  the  fashi;  liable  world,  of  possessing 
a  large  fortune." 

"  That  is  not  my  fault,  my  lord :  it  is  through  Major  Car- 
bonnell's  mistake  that  the  world  is  deceived.  Still  I  must 
acknowledge  myself  so  far  participator,  that  I  have  never 
contradicted  the  report." 

"  Meaning,  I  presume,  by  some  good  match,  to  reap  the 
advantage  of  the  supposition." 

"  Not  so,  my  lord,  I  assure  you.  People  may  deceive  them- 
selves, but  I  will  not  deceive  them." 

"  Nor  undeceive  them,  Mr.  Newland  ?" 

"Undeceive  them  I  will  not;  nay,  if  I  did  make  the  attempt, 
I  should  not  be  believed.  They  never  would  believe  it  possible 
that  I  could  have  lived  so  long  with  your  relative,  without 
having  had  a  large  supply  of  money.  They  might  believe 
that  I  had  run  through  my  money,  but  not  that  I  never  had 
any." 

"  There  is  a  knowledge  of  the  world  in  that  remark,"  replied 
his  lordship  ;  "  but  I  interrupted  you,  so  proceed." 

"  I  mean  to  observe,  my  lord,  and  you,  by  your  knowledge 
of  my  previous  history,  can  best  judge  how  far  I  am  warranted 
in  saying  so,  that  I  have  as  yet  steered  the  middle  course 
Between  that  which  is  dishonest  and  honest.  If  the  world 
deceives  itself,  you  would  say  that,  in  strict  honesty,  I  ought 
to  undeceive  it.  So  I  would,  my  lord,  if  it  were  not  for  my 
peculiar  situation  ;  but  at  the  same  time  I  never  will,  if  possi- 
ble, be  guilty  of  direct  deceit ;  that  is  to  say,  I  would  not  take 
advantage  of  my  supposed  wealth,  to  marry  a  young  person  of 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          175 

arge  fortune.  I  would  state  myself  a  beggar,  and  gain  her 
affections  as  a  beggar.  A  woman  can  have  little  confidence  in 
a  man  who  deceives  her  before  marriage." 

"  Your  secret  will  always  be  safe  with  me,  Mr.  Newland; 
you  have  a  right  to  demand  it.  I  am  glad  to  hear  the  senti- 
ments which  you  have  expressed ;  they  are  not  founded,  perhaps, 
upon  the  strictest  code  of  morality;  but  there  are  many  who 
profess  more  who  do  not  act  up  to  so  much.  Still,  I  wish  you 
would  think  in  what  way  I  may  be  able  to  serve  you,  for  your 
life  at  present  is  useless  and  unprofitable,  and  may  tend  to  warp 
still  more  ideas  which  are  not  quite  so  strict  as  they  ought  to 
be." 

"  My  lord,  I  have  but  one  object  in  allowing  the  world  to 
continue  in  their  error  relative  to  my  means,  which  is,  that  it 
procures  for  me  an  entrance  into  that  society  in  which  I  have 
a  moral  conviction  that  I  shall  find  my  father.  I  have  but  one 
pursuit,  one  end  to  attain,  which  is,  to  succeed  in  that  search. 
I  return  you  a  thousand  thanks  for  your  kind  expressions  and 
good  will;  but  I  cannot,  at  present,  avail  myself  of  them.  I 
beg  your  lordship's  pardon,  but  did  you  ever  meet  the  lady 
with  the  ear-rings  ?" 

Lord  Windermear  smiled.  "  Really,  Mr.  Newland,  you  are 
a  very  strange  person;  not  content  with  finding  out  your  own 
parents,  you  must  also  be  searching  after  other  people's;  not 
that  I  do  not  commend  your  conduct  in  this  instance,  but  I'm 
afraid,  in  running  after  shadows  you  are  too  indifferent  to  the 
substance." 

"  Ah,  my  lord  1  it  is  very  well  for  you  to  argue  who  have  had 
a  father  and  mother,  and  never  felt  the  want  of  them;  but  if 
you  knew  how  my  heart  yearns  after  my  parents,  you  would 
not  be  surprised  at  my  perseverance." 

"I  am  surprised  at  nothing  in  this  world,  Mr.  Newland; 
every  one  pursues  happiness  in  his  own  way;  your  happiness 
appears  to  be  centred  in  one  feeling,  and  you  are  only  acting  as 
the  world  does  in  general ;  but  recollect  that  the  search  after 
Iiu|)|)inesH  ends  in  disappointment." 


176  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER, 

"  I  grant  it  but  too  often  does,  my  lord ;  but  there  is  pleasure 
in  the.  chase,"  replied  I. 

"  Well,  go,  and  may  you  prosper.  All  I  can  say  is  this,  Mr. 
Newland,  do  not  have  that  false  pride  not  to  apply  to  me  when 
you  need  assistance.  Recollect,  it  is  much  better  to  be  under 
an  obligation,  if  such  you  consider  it,  than  to  do  that  which  is 
wrong;  and  that  it  is  a  very  false  pride  which  would  blush  to 
accept  a  favour,  and  yet  not  blush  to  do  what  it  ought  to  be 
ashamed  of.  Promise  me,  Mr.  Newland,  that  upon  any  reverse 
or  exigence,  you  will  apply  to  me." 

"I  candidly  acknowledge  to  your  lordship,  that  I  would 
rather  be  under  an  obligation  to  any  one  but  you;  and  I  trust 
you  will  clearly  appreciate  my  feelings.  I  have  taken  the  lib- 
erty of  refunding  the  one  thousand  pounds  you  were  so  kind  aa 
to  place  at  my  disposal  as  a  loan.  At  the  same  time  I  will 
promise,  that  if  at  any  tune  I  should  require  your  assistance,  I 
will  again  request  leave  to  become  your  debtor."  I  rose  again 
to  depart. 

"  Farewell,  Newland;  when  I  thought  you  had  behaved  ill, 
and  I  offered  to  better  you,  you  only  demanded  my  good  opin- 
ion; you  have  it,  and  have  it  so  firmly,  that  it  will  not  easily 
be  shaken."  His  lordship  then  shook  hands  with  me,  and  I 
took  my  leave. 

On  my  return  I  found  Emmanuel,  the  money-lender,  who  had 
accompanied  Timothy,  fancying  that  I  was  in  want  of  more  as- 
sistance, and  but  too  willing  to  give  it.  His  surprise  was  very 
great  when  I  told  him  that  I  wished  to  repay  the  money  I  had 
borrowed. 

"  Veil,  dis  is  very  strange  !  I  have  lent  my  monish  a  tou- 
sand  times,  and  never  once  did  they  offer  it  me  back.  Veil,  I 
will  take  it,  sar." 

"  But  how  much  must  I  give  you,  Mr.  Emmanuel,  for  the  ten 
days'  loan  ?" 

"  How  moch — vy  you  remember,  you  vill  give  de  bond 
money — de  fifteen  hundred." 

"  What  1  five  hundred  pounds  interest  for  ten  days,   Mr 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  177 

Emmanuel;  no,  no,  that's  rather  too  bad.  I  will,  if  yon  please, 
pay  you  back  eleven  hundred  pounds,  and  that,  I  think,  is  very 
handsome." 

"  I  don't  want  my  monish,  my  good  sar.  I  lend  you  one 
tousand  pounds  on  de  condition  that  you  pay  me  fifteen  hun- 
dred when  you  come  into  your  properties,  which  vill  be  in  very 
short  tune.  You  send  for  me,  and  tell  me  you  vish  to  pay 
back  de  monish  directly;  I  never  refuse  monish — ifyouvLsh 
to  pay  I  vill  take,  but  I  vill  not  take  von  farding  less  dan  de 
monish  on  de  bond." 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Emmanuel,  just  as  you  please  ;  I  offer  you 
your  money  back,  in  presence  of  my  servant,  and  one  hundred 
pounds  for  the  loan  of  it  for  ten  days.  Refuse  it  if  you  choose, 
but  I  earnestly  recommend  you  to  take  it." 

"  I  will  not  have  de  monish,  sar  ;  dis  is  the  child's  play," 
replied  the  Jew.  "  I  must  have  my  fifteen  hundred — all  in  goot 
tune,  sar — I  am  in  no  hurry — I  vish  you  a  very  good  morning, 
Mr.  Newland.  "  Ven  you  vish  for  more  monish  to  borrow,  I 
shall  be  happy  to  pay  my  respects."  So  saying,  the  Jew 
walked  out  of  the  room,  with  his  arm  behind  his  back  as  usual 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

I    DECIDE    UPON    HONESTY  AS  THE   BEST  POLICY,  AND  WHAT  IS   MORK 
STRANGE,  RECEIVE  "  LEGAL"  ADVICE  UPON  THIS  IMPORTANT  POINT 

TIMOTHY  and  I  burst  into  laughter.  "  Really,  Timothy,"  ob- 
eerved  I,  "it  appears  that  very  Uttle  art  is  necessary  to 
deceive  the  world,  for  in  every  instance  they  will  deceive  them- 
eelves.  The  Jew  is  off  my  conscience,  at  all  events,  and  now 
he  never  will  be  paid,  until " 

"  Until  when,  Japhet  ?" 

'*  Until  I  find  out  my  father,"  replied  I. 


178  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Every  thing  is  put  off  till  that  time  arrives,  I  observe," 
said  Timothy.  "  Other  people  will  soon  be  as  interested  in  the 
search  as  yourself." 

"  I  wish  they  were  ;  unfortunately  it  is  a  secret,  which 
cannot  be  divulged." 

A  ring  at  the  bell  called  Timothy  down  stairs  ;  he  returned 
with  a  letter ;  it  was  from  Lord  Windermear,  and  ran  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"Mr  DEAR  NEWLAND, 

"  I  have  been  thinking  about  you  ever  since  you  left  me 
this  morning,  and  as  you  appear  resolved  to  prosecute  your 
search,  it  has  occurred  to  me  that  you  should  go  about  it  in  a 
more  systematic  way.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  what  I  now 
propose  will  prove  of  any  advantage  to  you,  but  still  it  may,  as 
you  will  have  a  very  old,  and  very  clever  head  to  advise  with. 
I  refer  to  Mr.  Masterton,  my  legal  adviser,  from  whom  you  had 
the  papers  which  led  to  our  first  acquaintance.  He  is  aware 
that  you  were  (I  beg  your  pardon)  an  impostor,  as  he  has  since 
seen  Mr.  Estcourt.  The  letter  enclosed  is  for  him,  and  with 
that  in  your  hand  you  may  face  him  boldly,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  but  that  he  will  assist  you  all  in  his  power,  and  put  you 
to  no  expense.  Narrate  your  whole  history  to  him,  and  then 
you  will  hear  what  he  may  propose.  He  has  many  secrets, 
much  more  important  than  yours.  Wishing  you  every  success 
that  your  perseverance  deserves, 

"  Believe  me, 

"  Yours  very  truly, 

"  WINDERMEAR." 

"  I  believe  the  advice  to  be  good,"  said  I,  after  reading  the 
letter.  "  I  am  myself  at  fault,  and  hardly  know  how  to  pro- 
ceed. I  think  I  will  go  at  once  to  the  old  gentleman,  Timo- 
thy." 

"  It  can  do  no  harm,  if  it  does  no  good.  Two  heads  are 
better  than  one,"  replied  Timothy.  "  Some  secrets  are  too  well 


JAPHET,    IN   SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  179 

kept,  and  deserting  a  child  is  one  of  those  which  is  confided 
but  to  few." 

"  By-the-by,  Timothy,  here  have  I  been,  more  than  so  many 
years  out  of  the  Foundling  Hospital,  and  have  never  yet 
inquired  if  any  one  has  ever  been  to  reclaim  me." 

"  Very  true  ;  and  I  think  I'll  step  myself  to  the  workhouse, 
at  St.  Bridget's,  and  ask  whether  any  one  has  asked  about  me," 
replied  Timothy,  with  a  grin. 

"  There  is  another  thing  that  I  have  neglected,"  observed  I, 
"  which  is,  to  inquire  at  the  address  in  Coleman  Street,  if  there 
is  any  letter  from  Melchior." 

" I  have  often  thought  of  him,"  replied  Timothy.  'I  won- 
der who  he  can  be — there  is  another  mystery  there.  I  wonder 
whether  we  shall  ever  fall  in  with  him  again — and  Nattee,  too  ?" 

"  There's  no  saying,  Timothy.  I  wonder  where  that  poor 
fool,  Philotas,  and  our  friend  Jumbo,  are  now  ?" 

The  remembrance  of  the  two  last  personages  made  us  both 
burst  out  a  laughing. 

"  Timothy,  I've  been  reflecting  that  my  intimacy  with  poor 
Carbonnell  has  rather  hindered  than  assisted  me  in  my'  search. 
He  found  me  with  a  good  appearance,  and  he  has  moulded  me 
into  a  gentleman,  so  far  as  manners  and  appearance  are  con- 
cerned ;  but  the  constant  vortex  in  which  I  have  been  whirled 
in  his  company  has  prevented  me  from  doing  any  thing.  His 
melancholy  death  has  perhaps  been  fortunate  for  me.  It  nas 
left  me  more  independent  in  circumstances,  and  more  free. 
I  must  now  really  set  to  in  earnest." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Japhet,  but  did  not  you  say  the  same 
when  we  first  set  off  on  our  travels,  and  yet  remain  more  than  a 
year  with  the  gipsies  ?  Did  not  you  make  the  same  resolution 
when  we  arrived  in  town,  with  our  pockets  full  of  money,  and 
yet,  once  into  fashionable  society,  think  but  little,  and  occa- 
sionally, of  it  ?  Now  you  make  the  same  resolution,  and  how 
long  will  you  keep  it  ?" 

"  Nay,  Timothy,  that  remark  is  hardly  fair  ;  you  know  thai 
the  subject  is  ever  in  my  thoughts." 


180  JArilET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER. 

"  ID  your  thoughts,  I  grant,  very  frequently ;  but  you  have 
still  been  led  away  from  the  search." 

"  I  grant  it,  but  I  presume  that  arises  from  not  knowing  how 
to  proceed.  I  have  a  skein  to  unravel,  and  cannot  find  out  an 
end  to  commence  with." 

"  I  always  thought  people  commenced  with  the  beginning,r 
replied  Tim,  laughing. 

"  At  all  events,  I  will  now  try  back,  and  face  the  old  lawyer. 
Do  you  call  at  Coleman  Street,  Tim,  and  at  St.  Bridget's  also, 
if  you  please." 

41  As  for  St.  Bridget's,  I'm  in  no  particular  hurry  about  my 
mother  ;  if  I  stumble  upon  her  I  may  pick  her  up,  but  I  never 
make  diligent  search  after  what,  in  every  probability,  will  not 
be  worth  the  finding." 

Leaving  Timothy  to  go  his  way,  I  walked  to  the  house 
at  Lincoln's  Inn,  which  I  had  before  entered  upon  the  memora- 
ble occasion  of  the  papers  of  Estcourt.  As  before,  I  rang  the 
bell,  the  door  swung  open,  and  I  was  once  more  in  the  presence 
of  Mr.  Masterton. 

"  I  have  a  letter,  sir,"  said  I,  bowing,  and  presenting  the 
letter  from  Lord  Windermear. 

The  old  gentleman  peered  at  me  through  his  spectacles. 
'•  Why  !  we  have  met  before — bless  me — why  you're  the  rogue 
that » 

"  You  are  perfectly  right,  sir,"  interrupted  I.  "  I  am  the 
rogue  who  presented  the  letter  from  Lord  Windermear,  and 
who  presents  you  with  another  from  the  same  person  ;  do  me 
the  favour  to  read  it,  while  I  take  a  chair." 

"  Upon  my  soul — you  impudent — handsome  dog,  I  must  say 
— great  pity — come  for  money,  I  suppose.  Well,  it's  a  sad 
world,"  muttered  the  lawyer  as  he  broke  open  the  letter  of  Lord 
Windermear. 

I  made  no  reply,  but  watched  his  countenance,  which  changed 
to  that  of  an  expression  of  surprise.  "  Had  his  lordship  sent 
me  a  request  to  have  you  hanged,  if  possible,"  said  Mr.  Master- 
ten,  "  I  should  have  felt  no  surprise  ;  but  in  this  letter  he 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  181 

praises  you,  and  desires  me  to  render  you  all  the  service  in  iny 
power.  I  can't  understand  it." 

"  No,  sir  ;  but  if  you  have  leisure  to  listen  to  me,  you 
will  then  find  that,  in  this  world,  we  may  be  deceived  by 
appearances." 

"  Well,  and  so  I  was,  when  I  first  saw  you  ;  I  never  could 
have  believed  you  to  be — but  never  mind." 

"  Perhaps,  sir,  in  an  hour  or  two  you  will  again  alter  your 
opinion.  Are  you  at  leisure,  or  will  you  make  an  appointment 
for  some  future  day  ?" 

"  Mr.  Newland,  I  am  not  at  leisure — I  never  was  more  busy; 
and  if  you  had  come  on  any  legal  business,  I  should  have  put 
you  off  for  three  or  four  days,  at  least ;  but  my  curiosity  is  so 
raised,  that  I  am  determined  that  I  will  indulge  it  at  the 
expense  of  my  interest.  I  will  turn  the  key,  and  then  you  will 
oblige  me  by  unravelling,  what,  at  present,  is  to  me  as  curious 
as  it  is  wholly  incomprehensible." 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

1    ATTEMPT   TO    PROFIT    BY    INTELLIGENCE   I   RECEIVE,   AND   THROW   A 
LADY    INTO    HYSTERICS. 

IN  about  three  hours  I  had  narrated  the  history  of  my  life,  up 
to  the  very  day,  almost  as  much  detailed  as  it  has  been  to  the 
reader.  "  And  now,  Mr.  Masterton,"  said  I,  as  I  wound  up 
my  narrative,  "  do  you  think  that  I  deserve  the  title  of  rogue, 
which  you  applied  to  me  when  I  came  in  ?" 

"  Upon  my  word,  Mr.  Newland,  I  hardly  know  what  to  say; 
but  I  like  to  tell  the  truth.  To  say  that  you  have  been  quite 
honest,  would  not  be  correct — a  rogue,  to  a  certain  degree, 
you  have  been,  but  you  have  been  the  rogue  of  circumstances. 
I  cuu  only  say  this,  that  there  are  greater  rogues  than  you, 
whose  characters  are  unblemished  in  the  world — that  most  peo- 


182  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

pie  in  yonr  peculiar  situation  would  have  been  much  greater 
rogues  ;  and,  lastly,  that  rogue  or  not  rogue,  I  have  great 
pleasure  in  taking  you  by  the  hand,  and  will  do  all  I  possibly 
can  to  serve  you — and  that  for  your  own  sake.  Your  search 
after  your  parents  I  consider  almost  tantamount  to  a  wild- 
goose  chase  ;  but  still,  as  your  happiness  depends  upon  it,  I 
suppose  it  must  be  carried  on  ;  but  you  must  allow  me  time  for 
reflection.  I  will  consider  what  may  be  the  most  judicious 
method  of  proceeding.  Can  you  dine  tete-a-tete  with  me  here 
on  Friday,  and  we  then  will  talk  over  the  matter  ?" 

"  On  Friday,  sir  ;  I  am  afraid  that  I  am  engaged  to  Lady 
Maelstrom  ;  but  that  is  of  no  consequence — I  will  write  an 
excuse  to  her  ladyship." 

"  Lady  Maelstrom  !  how  very  odd  that  you  should  bring  up 
her  name  after  our  conversation." 

"  Why  so,  my  dear  sir  ?" 

"  Why  !"  replied  Mr.  Masterton,  chuckling  ;  "  because — 
recollect,  it  is  a  secret,  Mr.  Newland — I  remember  some  twenty 
years  ago,  when  she  was  a  girl  of  eighteen,  before  she  married, 
she  had  a  little  faux  pas,  and  I  was  called  in  about  a  settle- 
ment, for  the  maintenance  of  the  child." 

"  Is  it  possible,  sir  ?"  replied  I,  anxiously. 

"  Yes,  she  was  violently  attached  to  a  young  officer,  without 
money,  but  of  good  family  ;  some  say  it  was  a  private  marriage, 
others,  that  he  was — a  rascal.  It  was  all  hushed  up  ;  but  he 
was  obliged  by  the  friends,  before  he  left  for  the  West  Indies, 
to  sign  a  deed  of  maintenance,  and  I  was  the  party  called  in. 
I  never  heard  any  more  about  it.  The  officer's  name  was 
Warrender :  he  died  of  the  yellow  fever,  I  believe,  and  after 
his  death  she  married  Lord  Maelstrom." 

"  He  is  dead,  then  ?"  replied  I,  mournfully. 

"  Well,  that  cannot  affect  you,  my  good  fellow.  On  Fri- 
day, then,  at  six  o'clock  precisely.  Good  afternoon,  Mr.  New- 
land." 

I  shook  hands  with  the  old  gentleman,  and  returned  home, 
but  my  brain  whirled  with  the  fear  of  a  confirmation,  of  that 


JAPHET,    IN   SEARCH   OF   A   FATHEK.  183 

which  Mr.  Masterton  had  so  carelessly  conveyed.  Any  thing 
like  a  possibility,  immediately  was  swelled  to  a  certainty  in  my 
imagination,  so  ardent  and  heated  on  the  one  subject ;  and  as 
soon  as  I  regained  my  room,  I  threw  myself  on  the  sofa,  and 
fell  into  a  deep  reverie.  I  tried  to  approximate  the  features 
of  Lady  Maelstrom  to  mine,  but  all  the  ingenuity  in  the  world 
could  not  effect  that  ;  but  still,  I  might  be  like  my  father — 
but  my  father  was  dead,  and  that  threw  a  chill  over  the  whole 
glowing  picture  which  I  had,  as  usual,  conjured  up  ;  besides,  it 
was  asserted  that  I  was  born  in  wedlock,  and  there  was  a 
doubt  relative  to  the  marriage  of  her  ladyship. 

After  a  long  cogitation  I  jumped  up,  seized  my  hat,  and  set 
off  for  Grosvenor  Square,  determining  to  ask  a  private  inter- 
view with  her  ladyship,  and  at  once  end  my  harassing  doubts 
and  surmises.  I  think  there  could  not  be  a  greater  proof  of 
my  madness  than  my  venturing  to  attack  a  lady  of  forty  upon 
the  irregularities  of  her  youth,  and  to  question  her  upon  a  sub- 
ject which  had  been  confided  but  to  two  or  three,  and  she 
imagined  had  been  long  forgotten  :  but  this  never  struck  me  ; 
all  considerations  were  levelled  in  my  ardent  pursuit.  I  walked 
through  the  streets  at  a  rapid  pace,  the  crowd  passed  by  me 
as  shadows,  I  neither  saw  nor  distinguished  them  ;  I  was  deep 
in  reverie  as  to  the  best  way  of  breaking  the  subject  to  her 
ladyship,  for,  notwithstanding  my  monomania,  I  perceived  it  to 
be  a  point  of  great  delicacy.  After  having  overturned  about 
twenty  people  in  my  mad  career,  I  arrived  at  the  door  and 
knocked.  My  heart  beat  almost  as  hard  against  my  ribs  with 
excitement. 

"  Is  her  ladyship  at  home  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

I  was  ushered  into  the  drawing-room,  and  found  her  sitting 
with  two  of  her  nieces,  the  Misses  Fairfax. 

"  Mr.  Newland,"  you  have  been  quite  a  stranger,"  said  her 
ladyship,  as  I  walked  up  to  her  and  made  my  obeisance.  "  I 
did  intend  to  scold  you  well  ;  but  I  suppose  that  sad  affair  of 
poor  Major  Carbounell's  has  been  a  heavy  blow  to  you— 


184  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER. 

Y ou  were  so  intimate — lived  together,  I  believe,  did  you  not  ? 
However,  you  have  not  so  much  cause  to  regret,  for  he  was  not 
a  very  proper  companion  for  young  men  like  you  :  to  tell  you 
the  truth,  I  consider  it  as  a  fortunate  circumstance  that  he  was 
removed,  for  he  would,  by  degrees,  have  led  you  into  all  man- 
ner of  mischief,  and  have  persuaded  you  to  squander  your  for- 
tune. I  did  at  one  time  think  of  giving  you  a  hint,  but  it  was 
a  delicate  point.  Now  that  he  is  gone,  I  tell  you  very  candidly 
that  you  have  had  an  escape.  A  young  man  like  you,  Mr. 
Newland,  who  could  command  an  alliance  into  the  highest,  yes, 
the  very  highest  families — and  let  me  tell  you,  Mr.  Newland, 
that  there  is  nothing  like  connection — money  is  of  no  conse- 
quence to  you,  but  connection,  Mr.  Newland,  is  what  you  should 
look  for — connection  with  some  high  family,  and  then  you  will 
do  well.  I  should  like  to  see  you  settled — well  settled,  I  mean, 
Mr.  Newland.  Now  that  you  are  rid  of  the  major,  who  has 
ruined  many  young  men  in  his  time,  I  trust  you  will  seriously 
think  of  settling  down  into  a  married  man.  Cecilia,  my  dear, 
show  your  tambour  work  to  Mr.  Newland,  and  ask  him  his 
opinion.  Is  it  not  beautiful,  Mr.  Newland  ?" 

"  Extremely  beautiful,  indeed,  ma'am,"  replied  I,  glad  at  last 
that  her  ladyship  allowed  me  to  speak  a  word. 

"  Emma,  my  dear,  you  look  pale,  you  must  go  out  into  the 
air.  Go,  children,  put  your  bonr.ets  on  and  take  a  turn  in  the 
garden ;  when  the  carriage  comes  round  I  will  send  for 
you." 

The  young  ladies  quitted  the  room.  "  Nice  innocent  girls, 
Mr.  Newland  ;  but  you  are  not  partial  to  blondes,  I  believe  ?" 

"Indeed,  Lady  Maelstrom,  I  infinitely  prefer  the  blonde  to 
the  brunette." 

"  That  proves  your  taste,  Mr.  Newland.  The  Fairfaxes  are 
of  a  very  old  family — Saxon,  Mr.  Newland.  Fairfax  is  Saxon 
for  light  hair.  Is  it  not  remarkable  that  they  should  be  blondes 
to  this  day  ?  Pure  blood,  Mr.  Newland.  You  of  course  have 
heard  of  General  Fairfax  in  the  time  of  Cromwell.  He  wa? 
their  direct  ancestor — an  excellent  family  and  highly  connected, 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  185 

Mr.  Newland.  You  are  aware  that  they  are  my  nieces  My 
sister  married  Mr.  Fairfax." 

I  paid  the  Misses  Fairfax  the  compliments  which  I  thought 
they  really  deserved,  for  they  were  very  pretty  amiable  girls, 
and  required  no  puffing  on  the  part  of  her  ladyship  ;  and  then 
I  commenced.  "  Your  ladyship  has  expressed  such  kind  wishes 
towards  me,  that  I  cannot  be  sufficiently  grateful ;  but,  perhaps, 
your  ladyship  may  think  me  romantic,  I  am  resolved  never  to 
marry,  except  for  love." 

"  A  very  excellent  resolve,  Mr.  Newland ;  there  are  few  young 
men  who  care  about  love  now-a-days,  but  I  consider  that  love 
is  a  great  security  for  happiness  in  the  wedded  state." 

"  True,  madam,  and  what  can  be  more  delightful  than  a  first 
attachment  ?  I  appeal  to  your  ladyship,  was  not  your  first  at- 
tachment the  most  delightful — are  not  the  reminiscences  the 
most  lasting — do  you  not,  even  now,  call  to  mind  those  halcyon 
days  when  love  was  all  and  every  thing  ?" 

"  My  days  of  romance  are  long  past,  Mr.  Newland,"  replied 
her  ladyship  ;  "  indeed  I  never  had  much  romance  in  my  com- 
position. I  married  Lord  Maelstrom  for  the  connection,  and 
I  loved  him  pretty  well,  that  is,  soberly,  Mr.  Newland.  I  mean. 
I  loved  him  quite  enough  to  marry  him,  and  to  obey  my  parents, 
that  is  all." 

"  But,  my  dear  Lady  Maelstrom,  I  did  not  refer  to  your 
marriage  with  his  lordship  ;  I  referred  to  your  first  love." 

"  My  first  love,  Mr.  Newland  ;  pray  what  do  you  mean  ?"  re- 
plied her  ladyship,  looking  very  hard  at  me. 

"  Your  ladyship  need  not  be  ashamed  of  it.  Our  hearts  are 
not  in  our  own  keeping,  nor  can  we  always  control  our  passions. 
I  have  but  to  mention  the  name  of  Warrender." 

"  Warrender  !"  shrieked  her  ladyship.  "  Pray,  Mr.  New- 
,and,"  continued  her  ladyship,  recovering  herself,  "  who  gave 
you  that  piece  of  information  ?" 

"  My  dear  Lady  Maelstrom,  pray  do  not  be  displeased  with 
me,  but  I  am  very  particularly  interested  in  this  affair.  Your 
love  for  Mr.  Warrendvr,  long  before  your  marriage,  is  well 


186  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

known  to  me  ;  and  it  is  to  that  love,  to  which  I  referred,  when 
I  asked  you  if  it  was  not  most  delightful." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Newland,"  replied  her  ladyship,  "  how  you  have 
obtained  the  knowledge  I  know  not,  but  there  was,  I  acknow- 
ledge, a  trifling  flirtation  with  Edward  Warrender  and  me — 
but  I  was  young,  very  young  at  that  time." 

"  I  grant  it ;  and  do  not,  for  a  moment,  imagine  that  I  in- 
tend to  blame  your  ladyship  ;  but,  as  I  before  said,  madam,  I 
am  much  interested  in  the  business." 

"  What  interest  you  can  have  with  a  little  flirtation  of  mine, 
which  took  place  before  you  were  born,  I  cannot  imagine,  Mr. 
Newland." 

"  It  is  because  it  took  place  before  I  was  born,  that  I  feel  so 
much  interest." 

"  I  cannot  understand  you,  Mr.  Newland,  and  I  think  we 
had  better  change  the  subject." 

"  Excuse  me,  madam,  but  I  must  request  to  continue  it  a 
little  longer.  Is  Mr.  Warrender  dead  or  not  ?  Did  he  die  in 
the  West  Indies  V 

11  You  appear  to  be  very  curious  on  this  subject,  Mr.  New- 
land  ;  I  hardly  can  tell.  Yes,  now  I  recollect,  ne  did  die  of 
the  yellow  fever,  I  think — but  I  have  quite  forgotten  all  about 
it — and  I  shall  answer  no  more  questions  :  if  you  were  not  a 
favourite  of  mine,  Mr.  Newland,  I  should  say  that  yon  were 
very  impertinent." 

"  Then,  your  ladyship,  I  will  put  but  one  more  question,  and 
that  one  I  must  put  with  your  permission." 

"  I  should  think,  after  what  I  have  said,  Mr.  Newland,  that 
you  might  drop  the  subject." 

"  I  will,  your  ladyship,  immediately  ;  but  pardon  me  the 
qnestion " 

"  Well,  Mr.  Newland ?" 

"  Do  not  be  angry  with  me " 

"  Well  ?"  exclaimed  her  ladyship,  who  appeared  alarmed. 

"  Nothing  but  the  most  important  and  imperative  reasons 
oonld  induce  me  to  ask  the  question,"  (her  ladyship  gasped  for 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  187 

breath,  and  could  not  speak,) — I  stammered,  bat  at  last  I 
brought  it  out.  "What  has  become  of — of — of  the  sweet 
pledge  of  your  love,  Lady  Maelstrom  ?" 

Her  ladyship  coloured  up  with  rage,  raised  her   clenched 
hand,  and  then  fell  back  in  violent  hysterics. 


CHAPTER    XXXY. 

I  REPAIR  THE  DAMAGE,  AND  MAKE  THINGS   WORSE PLOT   AND  COUN- 

PLOT TIM  GAINS  A  WATCH  BY  SETTING  WATCH  UPON  HIS  TONGUE. 

I  HARDLY  knew  how  to  act — if  I  called  the  servants,  my  inter- 
view would  be  at  an  end,  and  I  was  resolved  to  find  out  the 
truth — for  the  same  reason,  I  did  not  like  to  ring  for  water. 
Some  vases  with  flowers  were  on  the  table  ;  I  took  out  the 
flowers,  and  threw  the  water  in  her  face,  but  they  had  been  in 
the  water  some  time,  and  had  discoloured  it  green.  Her  lady- 
ship's dress  was  a  high  silk  gown,  of  a  bright  slate  colour,  and 
was  immediately  spoiled  ;  but  this  was  no  time  to  stand  upon 
trifles.  I  seized  hold  of  a  glass  bottle,  fancying,  in  my  hurry,  it 
was  tan  de  cologne,  or  some  essence,  and  poured  a  little  into  her 
mouth  ;  unfortunately  it  was  a  bottle  of  marking  ink,  which 
her  ladyship,  who  was  very  economical,  had  on  the  table  in  dis- 
guise. I  perceived  my  error,  and  had  recourse  to  another  vase 
of  flowers,  pouring  a  large  quantity  of  the  green  water  down 
her  throat.  Whether  the  onusnal  remedies  had  an  effect,  or 
not,  I  cannot  tell,  but  her  ladyship  gradually  revived,  and,  as 
she  leant  back  on  the  sofa,  sobbing  every,  now  and  then,  con 
vulsively,  I  poured  into  her  ear  a  thousand  apologies,  until  I 
..bought  she  was  composed  enough  to  listen  to  inc. 
"  Your  ladyship's  maternal  feelings,"  said  1. 
"  It's  all  a  calumny  !  a  base  lie,  sir  !"  shrieked  she." 
"Nay,  nay,  why  be  ashamed  of  a  youthful  passion  ;  whj 
tieny  what  was  in  itself  creditable  to  your  unsophisticated  mind 


188  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATIIEU. 

Does  uot  your  heart,  even  now,  yearn  to  embrace  your  son-- 
will  not  you  bless  me,  if  I  bring  him  to  your  feet — will  not  you 
bless  your  son,  and  receive  him  with  delight  ?w 

"  It  was  a  girl,"  screamed  her  ladyship,  forgetting  herself, 
and  again  falling  into  hysterics. 

"  A  girl !"  replied  I ;  "  then  I  have  lost  my  time,  and  it  is  no 
use  my  remaining  here." 

Mortified  at  the  intelligence  which  overthrew  niy  hopes  and 
castle  buildings,  I  seized  my  hat,  descended  the  stairs,  and  quit- 
ted the  house ;  in  my  hurry  and  confusion  quite  forgetting  to 
call  the  servants  to  her  ladyship's  assistance.  Fortunately  I 
perceived  the  Misses  Fairfax  close  to  the  iron  railing  of  the  gar- 
den. I  crossed  the  road,  wished  them  good-by,  and  told  them 
that  I  thought  Lady  Maelstrom  looked  very  ill,  and  they  had 
better  go  in  to  her.  I  then  threw  myself  into  the  firsi  hack- 
ney-coach, and  drove  home.  I  found  Timothy  had  arrived  be- 
fore me,  and  I  narrated  all  that  had  passed. 

"  You  will  never  be  able  to  go  there  again,"  observed  Timo- 
thy, "  and  depend  upon  it,  she  will  be  your  enemy  through  life. 
I  wish  you  had  not  said  any  thing  to  her." 

"  What  is  done  cannot  be  undone  ;  but  recollect,  that  if 
she  can  talk,  I  can  talk  also." 

"  Will  she  uot  be  afraid  V 

"  Yes,  openly,  she  will ;  and  open  attacks  can  be  parried." 

"  Very  true." 

"  But  it  will  be  as  well  to  pacify  her,  if  I  can.  I  will  write 
to  her."  I  sat  down  and  wrote  as  follows  : 

"  MY  DEAR  LADY  MAELSTROM  : — 

"  I  am  so  astonished  and  alarmed  at  the  situation  I 
put  you  in,  by  my  impertinence  and  folly,  that  I  hardly  know 
how  to  apologise.  The  fact  is,  that  looking  over  some  of  my 
father's  old  letters,  I  found  many  from  Warrender,  in  which  he 
Bpoke  of  an  affair  with  a  young  lady,  and  I  read  the  name  as 
your  maiden  name,  and  also  discovered  where  the  offspring  was 
to  be  found.  On  re-examination,  for  your  innocence  was  too 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  189 

evident  at  our  meeting  to  admit  of  a  doubt,  I  find  that  the 
name,  although  something  like  yours,  is  spelt  very  differently,  and 
that  I  must  have  been  led  into  an  unpardonable  error.  What 
can  I  say  except  that  I  throw  myself  on  your  mercy  ?  I  dare 
uot  appear  before  you  again.  I  leave  town  to-morrow  ;  but  if 
you  can  pardon  my  folly  and  impertinence,  and  allow  me  to  pay 
my  respects  when  London  is  full  again,  and  time  shall  have  sof- 
tened down  your  just  anger,  write  me  one  line  to  that  effect, 
and  you  will  relieve  the  burdened  conscience  of 
"  Yours  most  truly, 

"J.  NEWLAND." 

"  There,  Tun,"  said  I,  as  I  finished  reading  it  over,  "  take 
that  as  a  sop  to  the  old  Cerberus.  She  may  think  it  prudent,  as 
I  have  talked  of  letters,  to  believe  me,  and  make  friends.  I  will 
not  trust  her,  nevertheless." 

Tun  went  away,  and  very  soon  returned  with  an  answer. 

"You  are  a  foolish  mad-cap,  and  I  ought  to  shut  my  doors 
against  you  ;  you  have  half  killed  me — spoilt  my  gown,  and  I 
am  obliged  to  keep  my  bed.  Remember,  in  future,  to  be  sure 
of  the  right  name  before  you  make  an  assertion.  As  for  for- 
giving yon,  I  shall  think  of  it,  and  when  you  return  to  town, 
you  may  call  and  receive  my  sentence.  Cecilia  was  quite 
frightened,  poor  dear  girl :  what  a  dear  affectionate  child  she 
is  I — she  is  a  treasure  to  me,  and  I  don't  think  I  ever  could 
part  with  her.  She  sends  her  regards. 

"  Yours, 

"  C.  MAELSTROM." 

"  Come,  Timothy,  at  all  events  this  is  better  than  I  expected — 
bat  now  I'll  tell  you  what  I  propose  to  do.  Harcourt  was  with 

me  yesterday,  and  he  wishes  me  to  go  down  with  him  to . 

There  will  be  the  assizes,  and  the  county  ball,  and  a  great  desil 
of  gaiety,  and  I  have  an  idea  that  it  is  just  as  well  to  beat  the 
county  as  the  town.  I  dine  with  Mr.  Masterton  on  Friday.  On 


190  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

Saturday  I  will  go  down  and  see  Fleta,  and  on  Tuesday  or 
Wednesday  I  will  start  with  Harcourt  to  his  father's,  where  he 
has  promised  me  a  hearty  welcome.  Was  there  any  thing  at 
Coleman  Street  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  Mr.  Iving  said  that  he  had  just  received  a  letter 
from  your  correspondent,  and  that  he  wished  to  know  if  the 
little  girl  was  well ;  I  told  him  that  she  was.  Mr.  Iving  laid 
the  letter  down  on  the  desk,  and  I  read  the  postmark,  Dub- 
lin." 

"  Dublin,"  replied  I.  "  I  should  like  to  find  out  who  Mel- 
chior  is — and  so  I  will  as  soon  as  I  can." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  have  not  finished  my  story.  Mr.  Iving  said, 
'  My  correspondent  wishes  to  know  whether  the  education  of 
the  little  girl  is  attended  to  ?'  '  Yes,'  replied  I,  '  it  is.'  '  Is  she 
at  school  ?'  '  Yes,  she  has  been  at  school  ever  since  we  have 
been  in  London.'  '  Where  is  she  at  school  ?'  inquired  he.  Now, 
sir,  as  I  never  was  asked  that  question  by  him  before,  I  did  not 
know  whether  I  ought  to  give  an  answer,  so  I  replied,  '  that  I 
did  not  know.'  '  You  know  whether  she  is  in  London  or  not, 
do  you  not  ?'  '  How  should  I  ?'  replied  I,  '  master  had  put  her 
to  school  before  I  put  on  his  liveries.'  '  Does  he  never  go  to  see 
her  ?'  inquired  he.  '  I  suppose  so,'  said  I.  '  Then  you  really 
know  nothing  about  it  ? — then  look  you,  my  lad,  I  am  anxious 
to  find  out  where  she  is  at  school,  and  the  name  of  the  people, 
and  if  you  will  find  out  the  direction  for  me,  it  will  be  money  in 
your  pocket,  that's  all.'  '  Um,'  replied  I,  '  but  how  much  ?' 
'  Why,  more  than  you  think  for,  my  man,  it  will  be  a  ten-pound 
note.'  '  That  alters  the  case,'  replied  I  ;  '  now  I  think  agafn. 
I  have  an  idea  that  I  do  remember  seeing  her  address  on  a 
letter  my  master  wrote  to  her.'  'Ay,'  replied  Mr.  Iving,  'it's 
astonishing  how  money  sharpens  the  memory.  I'll  keep  to 
my  bargain  ;  give  me  the  address,  and  here's  the  ten-pound 
note.'  '  I'm  afraid  that  my  master  will  be  angry,'  said  I,  as  if 
I  did  not  much  like  to  tell  him.  '  Your  master  will  never  know 
any  thing  about  it,  and  you  may  serve  a  long  time  "before  he 
gives  you  a  ten-pound  note  above  your  wages.'  '  That's  tery 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  1D1 

true,'  said  I,  '  sarvice  is  no  inheritance.  Well,  then,  give  me 
thf>  money,  and  I'll  write  it  down.' " 

"  And  did  you  give  it  ?"  interrupted  I. 

"  Stop  a  moment,  sir,  and  you  shall  hear.  I  wrote  down  the 
address  of  that  large  school  at  Kensington,  which  we  pass 
•shell  we  go  to  Mr.  Aubrey  White's." 

"  What  that  tremendous  large  board  with  yellow  letters — 
Mrs.  Let— what  is  it?" 

"  Mrs.  Lipscombe's  seminary — I  always  read  the  board  every 
tune  I  go  up  and  down.  I  gave  him  the  address,  Miss  John- 
son, at  Mrs.  Lipscombe's  seminary,  Kensington.  Well — and 
here's  the  ten-pound  note,  sir,  which  I  have  fairly  earned." 

"  Fairly  earned,  Tim  ?" 

"  Yes,  fairly  earned  ;  for  it's  all  fair  to  cheat  those  who  would 
cheat  yot  " 

"  I  cannot  altogether  agree  with  you  on  that  point,  Tim,  but 
it  certainly  is  no  more  than  they  deserve  ;  but  this  is  matter 
for  reflection.  Why  should  Melchior  wish  to  find  out  her 
address  without  my  knowledge  ? — depend  upon  it,  there  is 
Bomething  wrong." 

"  That's  what  I  said  to  myself  coming  home  ;  and  I  made  up 
my  mind,  that,  for  some  reason  or  another,  he  wishes  to  regain 
possession  of  her." 

"I  entertain  the  same  idea,  Timothy,  and  I  am  glad  you 
have  disappointed  him.  I  will  take  care  that  they  shall  not 
find  her  out,  now  that  I  am  upon  my  guard." 

"  But,  sir,  I  wish  to  draw  one  good  moral  from  this  circum- 
tance  ;  which  is,  that  if  yon  had  been  served  by  any  common 
footman,  your  interest  would,  in  all  probability,  have  beeu 
sacrificed  to  the  ten-pound  note  ;  and  that  not  only  in  this 
instance,  but  in  many  others,  I  did  a  very  wise  thing  in  taking 
iny  present  situation." 

"  I  am  but  too  well  aware  of  thst.  Tim,  my  dear  fellow,"  said 
I,  extending  my  hand,  "  and  depend  upon  it,  that  if  I  rise,  you 
do.  You  know  me  well  enough  by  this  time." 

"  Yes,  I  do  Japhet,  and  had  rather  serve  you  than  the  first 


192  JAPHET,  IN  SEAKCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

nobleman  in  the  land.  I  am  going  to  purchase  a  watch  with 
this  ten-pound  note,  and  I  never  shall  look  at  it  without  remem- 
bering the  advantage  of  keeping  a  watch  over  my  tongue." 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

I  FALL  VERY   MUCH    IN    LOVE  WITH    HONESTY,   BECAUSE  I  FIND  THAT 

IT  IS  WELL  RECEIVED  IN  THE  WORLD AND  TO  PROVE  MY  HONESTY, 

INFORM  THE  WHOLE  WORLD  THAT  HONEST  I  HAVE  NEVER  BEEN. 

I  PROVED  the  will  of  Major  Carbonnell,  in  which  there  was  no 
difficulty  ;  and  then  I  sat  down  to  consider  in  what  way  I 
might  best  husband  my  resources.  The  house  was  in  good  re- 
pair, and  well  furnished.  At  the  time  that  I  lived  with  the 
major,  we  had  our  drawing-room,  and  his  bed-room,  and  another 
room  equally  large,  used  as  his  dressing-room,  on  the  first  floor. 
The  second  floor  was  appropriated  to  me,  and  the  sitting-room 
was  used  as  a  dining-room  when  we  dined  at  home,  which  was 
but  seldom.  The  basement  was  let  as  a  shop,  at  one  hundred 
pounds  per  annum,  but  we  had  a  private  door  for  entrance,  and 
the  kitchens  and  attics.  I  resolved  to  retain  only  the  first  floor, 
and  let  the  remainder  of  the  house  ;  and  I  very  soon  got  a  ten. 
ant  at  sixty  pounds  per  annum.  The  attics  were  appropriated 
to  Timothy  and  the  servants  belonging  to  the  lodger. 

After  having  disposed  of  what  was  of  no  service  to  me,  I 
found  that,  deducting  the  thousand  pounds  paid  into  the  bank- 
er's, for  Lord  Windermear,  I  had  a  little  above  three  thousand 
pounds  in  ready  money,  and  what  to  do  with  this  I  could  not 
well  decide.  I  applied  to  Mr.  Masterton,  stating  the  exact 
amount  of  my  finances,  on  the  day  that  I  dined  with  him,  and 
he  replied,  "  You  have  two  good  tenants,  bringing  you  in  one 
hundred  and  sixty  pounds  per  annum — if  this  money  is  put  out 
on  mortgage,  I  can  procure  you  five  per  cent.,  which  will  be  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds  per  annum.  Now,  the  question  is,  do 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  193 

you  think  that  you  can  live  upon  three  hundred  and  ten  pounds 
per  annum  ?  You  have  no  rent  to  pay  ;  and  I  should  think 
that,  as  you  are  not  at  any  great  expense  for  a  servant,  you, 
with  economy,  might  do  very  well.  Recollect,  that  if  your 
money  is  lent  on  mortgage  you  will  not  be  able  to  obtain  it  at  a 
moment's  warning.  So  reflect  well  before  you  decide." 

I  consulted  with  Timothy,  and  agreed  to  lend  the  money,  re 
serving  about  two  hundred  pounds  to  go  on  with,  until  I  should 
receive  my  rents  and  interest.  On  the  Friday  I  went  to  dine 
with  Mr.  Masterton,  and  narrated  what  had  passed  between  me 
and  Lady  Maelstrom.  He  was  very  much  diverted,  and  laughed 
immoderately.  "  Upon  my  faith,  Mr.  Newland,  but  you  have 
a  singular  species  of  madness  ;  you  first  attack  Lord  Winder- 
mear,  then  a  bishop,  and,  to  crown  all,  you  attack  a  dowager 
peeress.  I  must  acknowledge,  that  if  you  do  not  find  out  your 
parents,  it  will  not  be  for  want  of  inquiry.  Altogether,  you 
are  a  most  singular  character  ;  your  history  is  most  singular, 
and  your  good  fortune  is  equally  so.  You  have  made  more 
friends  before  you  have  come  to  age,  than  most  people  do  in 
their  whole  lives.  You  commence  the  world  with  nothing,  and 
here  you  are  with  almost  a  competence — have  paid  off  a  loan  of 
one  thousand  pounds,  which  was  not  required — and  are  moving 
in  the  best  society.  Now  the  only  drawback  I  perceive  in  all 
this  is,  that  you  are  in  society  under  false  colours,  having  made 
people  suppose  that  you  are  possessed  of  a  large  fortune." 

"  It  was  not  exactly  my  assertion,  sir." 

"  No,  I  grant,  not  exactly  ;  but  you  have  been  a  party  to  it, 
and  I  cannot  allow  that  there  is  any  difference.  Now  do  you 
mean  to  allow  this  supposition  to  remain  uncontradicted  ?" 

"  I  hardly  know  what  to  say,  sir  ;  if  I  were  to  state  that  I 
have  nothing  but  a  bare  competence,  it  will  be  only  injurious  to 
the  memory  of  Major  Carbonnell.  All  the  world  will  suppose 
that  he  has  ruined  me,  and  that  I  had  the  fortune,  whereas,  on 
the  contrary,  it  is  to  him  that  I  am  indebted  for  my  present 
favourable  position." 

"  That  may  be  very  true,  Mr.  Newland  ;  but  if  I  am  to  con- 
0 


194  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

sider  you  as  my  protdgd,  and  I  may  add  the  protdge  of  Lord 
Windermear,  I  must  make  you  quite  honest — I  will  be  no  party 
to  fraud  in  any  shape  Are  you  prepared  to  resign  your  bor- 
rowed plumes,  and  appear  before  the  world  as  you  really 
are  ?" 

"  There  is  but  one  inducement,  sir,  for  me  to  wish  that  the 
world  may  still  deceive  themselves.  I  may  be  thrown  out  of 
society,  and  lose  the  opportunity  of  discovering  my  parents." 

"  And  pray,  Mr.  Newland,  which  do  you  think  is  more  likely 
to  tend  to  the  discovery,  a  general  knowledge  that  you  are  a 
foundling  in  search  of  your  parents,  or  your  present  method,  of 
taxing  every  body  upon  suspicion.  If  your  parents  wish  to  re- 
claim yon,  they  will  then  have  their  eyes  directed  towards  you, 
from  your  position  being  known  ;  and  I  will  add,  there  are  few 
parents  who  will  not  be  proud  of  you  as  a  son.  You  will  have 
the  patronage  of  Lord  Windermear,  which  will  always  secure 
you  a  position  in  society,  and  the  good  wishes  of  all,  although, 
I  grant,  that  such  worldly  people  as  Lady  Maelstrom  may 
strike  your  name  off  their  porter's  list.  You  will,  moreover, 
have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  the  friends  which  you 
make  have  not  been  made  under  false  colours  and  appearances, 
and  a  still  further  satisfaction,  arising  from  a  good  conscience." 

"  I  am  convinced,  sir,  and  I  thank  you  for  your  advice.  I 
will  now  be  guided  by  you  in  every  thing." 

"  Give  me  your  hand,  my  good  lad,  I  now  will  be  your  friend 
to  the  utmost  of  my  power." 

"  I  only  wish,  sir,"  replied  I,  much  affected,  "  that  you  were 
also  my  father." 

"  Thank  you  for  the  wish,  as  it  implies  that  you  have  ft  good 
opinion  of  me.  What  do  yon  mean  to  do  ?" 

"  I  have  promised  my  friend  Mr.  Harcourt  to  go  dowu  with 
him  to  his  father's." 

"  Well." 

"  And  before  I  go  I  will  undeceive  him." 

"  You  are  right  ;  you  will  then  find  whether  he  is  a  friend  to 
FOU  or  to  your  supposed  ten  thousand  pounds  per  annum  I 


JAPHET,    IN   SEARCH   OP  A   FATHER.  195 

have  been  reflecting,  and  I  am  not  aware  that  any  thing  else 
can  be  done  at  present  than  acknowledge  to  the  world  who  you 
really  are,  which  is  more  likely  to  tend  to  the  discovery  of  your 
parents  than  any  other  means,  but  at  the  same  time  I  shall  not 
be  idle.  All  we  lawyers  have  among  us  strange  secrets,  and 
among  my  fraternity,  to  whom  I  shall  speak  openly,  I  think  it 
possible  that  something  may  be  found  out  which  may  serve  as  a 
clue.  Do  not  be  annoyed  at  being  cut  by  many,  when  your  his- 
tory is  known  ;  those  who  cut  you  are  those  whose  acquaint- 
ance and  friendship  are  not  worth  having  ;  it  will  unmask  your 
flatterers  from  your  friends,  and  you  will  not  repent  of  your 
having  been  honest ;  in  the  end,  it  is  the  best  policy,  even  in  a 
worldly  point  of  view.  Come  to  me  as  often  as  you  please  ;  I 
am  always  at  home  to  you,  and  always  your  friend." 

Such  was  the  result  of  my  dinner  with  Mr.  Masterton,  which 
I  narrated  to  Timothy  as  soon  as  I  returned  home.  "  Well, 
Japhet,  I  think  you  have  found  a  real  friend  in  Mr.  Masterton, 
and  I  am  glad  that  you  have  decided  upon  following  his  advice. 
As  for  me,  I  am  not  under  false  colours,  I  am  in  my  right  situ- 
ation, and  wish  no  more." 

In  pursuance  of  my  promise  to  Mr.  Masterton,  I  called  upon 
Harcourt  the  next  morning,  and  after  stating  my  intention  to 
go  down  for  a  day  or  two  into  the  country  to  see  a  little  girl 
who  was  under  my  care,  I  said  to  him,  "  Harcourt,  as  long  as 
we  were  only  town  acquaintances,  mixing  in  society,  and  under 
no  peculiar  obligations  to  each  other,  I  did  not  think  it  worth 
while  to  undeceive  you  on  a  point  in  which  Major  Carbonnell 
was  deceived  himself,  and  has  deceived  others  ;  but  now  that 
you  have  offered  to  introduce  me  into  the  bosom  of  your  family, 
I  cannot  allow  you  to  remain  in  error.  It  is  generally  supposed 
that  I  am  about  to  enter  into  a  large  property  when  I  come  of 
age  ;  now,  so  far  from  that  being  the  case,  I  have  nothing  in 
the  world  but  a  bare  competence,  and  the  friendship  of  Lord 
Windermear.  In  fact,  I  am  a  deserted  child,  ignorant  of  ray 
parents,  and  most  anxious  to  discover  them,  as  I  have  every 
reason  to  suppose  that  I  am  of  no  mean  birth.  I  tell  you  thin 


196  JAPIIET,    IN    SEARCH    FO    A    FATHER. 

sandidly,  and  unless  you  renew  the  invitation,  shall  consider 
that  it  has  not  been  given." 

Harcourt  remained  a  short  time  without  answering.  "  You 
really  have  astonished  me,  Newland ;  but,"  continued  he, 
extending  his  hand,  '  I  admire — I  respect  you,  and  I  feel  that 
I  shall  like  you  better.  With  ten  thousand  pounds  a-year,  you 
were  above  me — now  we  are  but  equals.  I,  as  a  younger 
brother,  have  but  a  bare  competence,  as  well  as  you  ;  and  as 
for  parents — for  the  benefit  I  now  derive  from  them,  I  might  as 
well  have  none.  Not  but  my  father  is  a  worthy,  fine  old  gen- 
tleman, but  the  estates  are  entailed  ;  he  is  obliged  to  keep  up 
his  position  in  society,  and  he  has  a  large  family  to  provide  for, 
and  he  can  do  no  more.  You  have  indeed  an  uncommon  moral 
courage  to  have  made  this  confession.  Do  you  wish  it  to  be 
kept  a  secret  ?" 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  wish  the  truth  to  be  known." 

"  I  am  glad  that  you  say  so,  as  I  have  mentioned  you  as  a 
young  man  of  large  fortune  to  my  father  ;  but  I  feel  convinced 
when  I  tell  bun  this  conversation,  he  will  be  much  more  pleased 
in  taking  you  by  the  hand,  than  if  you  were  to  come  down  and 
propose  to  one  of  my  sisters.  I  repeat  the  invitation  with 
double  the  pleasure  that  I  gave  it  at  first." 

"  I  thank  you,  Harcourt,"  replied  I ;  "  some  day  I  will  tell 
you  more.  I  must  not  expect,  however,  that  everybody  will 
prove  themselves  as  noble  in  ideas  as  yourself." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  never  mind  that.  On  Friday  next,  then, 
we  start." 

"  Agreed."    I  shook  hands  and  left  him. 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

I    TRY    BACK   TO    RECOVER   THE    LOST    SCENT,    AND    DISCOVER   TO    MY 
ASTONISHMENT,  THAT  I  HAVE  BEEN   TRANSPORTED  FOR  FORGERY. 

THE  behaviour  of  Harcourt  was  certainly  a  good  encourage- 
ment, and  had  I  been  wavering  in  my  promise  to  Mr.  Master- 
ton,  would  have  encouraged  me  to  proceed.  I  returned  home 
with  a  light  heart  and  a  pleasing  satisfaction,  from  the  convic- 
tion that  I  had  done  right.  The  next  morning  I  set  off 

for ,  and  as  it  was  a  long  while  since  I  had  seen  Fleta,  our 

meeting  was  a  source  of  delight  on  both  sides.  I  found  her 
very  much  grown  and  improved.  She  was  approaching  her 
fifteenth  year,  as  nearly  as  we  could  guess — of  course  her  exact 
age  was  a  mystery.  Her  mind  was  equally  expanded.  Her 
mistress  praised  her  docility  and  application,  and  wished  to 
know  whether  I  intended  that  she  should  be  taught  music  and 
drawing,  for  both  of  which  she  had  shown  a  decided  taste.  To 
this  I  immediately  consented,  and  Fleta  hung  on  my  shoulder, 
and  embraced  me  for  the  indulgence.  She  was  now  fast 
approaching  to  womanhood,  and  my  feelings  towards  her  were 
more  intense  than  ever.  I  took  the  chain  of  coral  and  gold 
beads  from  her  neck,  telling  her  that  I  must  put  it  into  a  secure 
place,  as  much  depended  upon  them.  She  was  curious  to  know 
why,  but  I  would  not  enter  into  the  subject  at  that  time.  One 
caution  I  gave  her,  in  case,  by  any  chance,  her  retreat  should 
be  discovered  by  the  companions  of  Melchior,  which  was,  that 
without  I  myself  came,  she  was,  on  no  account,  to  leave  the 
Bchool,  even  if  a  letter  from  me  was  produced,  requesting  her 
to  come,  unless  that  letter  was  delivered  by  Timothy.  I  gave 
the  same  directions  to  her  mistress,  paid  up  her  schooling  and 
expenses,  and  then  left  her,  promising  not  to  be  so  long  before 
I  saw  her  again.  On  my  return  to  town  I  deposited  the  neck- 
lace with  Mr.  Masterton,  who  locked  it  up  carefully  in  his  iroo 

•afe 


198  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

On  the  Friday,  as  agreed,  Harcourt  and  I,  accompanied  bj 
Timothy  and  Harcourt's  servant,  started  on  the  outside  of  the 
coach,  as  younger  brothers  usually  convey  themselves,  for  his 

father's  seat  in shire,  and  arrived  there  in  time  for  dinner. 

was  kindly  received  by  old  Mr.  Harcourt  and  his  family,  con- 
sisting of  his  wife  and  three  amiable  and  beautiful  girls.  But 
on  the  second  day,  during  which  interval  I  presume  Harcourt 
had  an  opportunity  of  undeceiving  his  father,  I  was  delighted 
to  perceive  that  the  old  gentleman's  warmth  of  behaviour 
towards  me  was  increased.  I  remained  there  for  a  fortnight, 
and  never  was  so  happy.  I  was  soon  on  the  most  intimate 
terms  with  the  whole  family,  and  was  treated  as  if  I  belonged 
to  it.  Yet  when  I  went  to  bed  every  night  I  became  more  and 
more  melancholy.  I  felt  what  a  delight  it  must  be  to  have 
parents,  sisters,  and  friends — the  bosom  of  a  family  to  retire 
into,  to  share  with  it  your  pleasures  and  your  pains  ;  and  the 
tears  often  ran  down  my  cheeks,  and  moistened  my  pillow,  when 
I  had,  not  an  hour  before,  been  the  happiest  of  the  happy,  and 
the  gayest  of  the  gay.  In  a  family  party,  there  is  nothing  so 
amusing  as  any  little  talent  out  of  the  general  way,  and  my 
performances,  and  tricks  on  cards,  &c.,  in  which  Melchior  had 
made  me  such  an  adept,  were  now  brought  forward  as  a  source 
of  innocent  gratification.  When  I  quitted,  I  had  a  general  and 
hearty  welcome  to  the  house  from  the  parents ;  and  the  eyes  of 
the  amiable  girls,  as  well  as  mine,  were  not  exactly  dry,  as  we 
bade  each  other  farewell. 

"  You  told  your  father,  Harcourt,  did  you  not  ?" 
"Yea,  and  the  whole  of  them,  Japhet  ;  and  you  must  ac- 
knowledge, that  in  their  estimation  you  did  not  suffer.  My 
father  is  pleased  with  our  intimacy,  and  advises  me  to  cultivate 
it  To  prove  to  you  that  I  am  anxious  so  to  do,  I  have  a  pro- 
posal to  make.  I  know  your  house  as  well  as  you  do,  and  that 
you  have  reserved  only  the  first  floor  for  yourself ;  but  there 
are  two  good  rooms  on  the  first  floor,  and  you  can  dispense 
with  a  dressing-room.  Suppose  we  club  together.  It  will  be  a 
saving  to  us  both,  as  poor  Carbonnell  said  when  he  took  you  hi  " 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          199 

"  With  all  my  heart :  I  am  delighted  with  the  proposal." 

Harcourt  then  stated  what  it  was  his  intention  to  offei 
fcr  his  share  of  the  apartment ;  the  other  expenses  to  be 
divided,  and  his  servant  dismissed.  I  hardly  need  say,  that 
we  did  not  disagree,  and  before  I  had  been  a  week  in  town, 
we  were  living  together.  My  interview  with  Mr.  Masterton, 
and  subsequent  events,  had  made  me  forget  to  call  on  the  gov- 
ernors of  the  Foundling  Hospital,  to  ascertain  whether  there 
had  been  any  inquiries  after  me.  On  my  return  to  town  I 
vent  there,  aad  finding  that  there  was  a  meeting  to  be  held  oil 
the  next  day,  I  presented  myself.  I  was  introduced  into  the 
room  where  they  were  assembled. 

"  You  wish  to  speak  with  the  governors  of  the  Hospital,  I 
understand,"  said  the  presiding  governor. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  I ;  "I  have  come  to  ask  whether  an 
inquiry  has  been  made  after  one  of  the  inmates  of  this  charity, 
of  the  name  of  Japhet  Newland." 

"  Japhet  Newland  1" 

"  If  you  recollect,  sir,  he  was  bound  to  an  apothecary  of  the 
name  of  Cophagus,  in  consequence  of  some  money  which  was 
left  with  him  as  an  infant,  enclosed  in  a  letter,  in  which  it  was 
said  that  he  would  be  reclaimed  if  circumstances  permitted." 

"  I  recollect  it  perfectly  well — it  is  now  about  six  years 
back.  I  think  there  was  some  inquiry,  was  there  not,  Mr. 
G ?" 

"  I  think  that  there  was,  about  a  year  and  a  half  ago  ;  but 
we  will  send  for  the  secretary,  and  refer  to  the  minutes." 

My  heart  beat  quick,  and  the  perspiration  bedewed  my  fore- 
head, when  I  heard  this  intelligence.  At  last,  my  emotion  was 
§o  great,  that  I  felt  faint.  "  You  are  ill,  sir,"  said  one  of  the 
gentlemen  ;  "  quick — a  glass  of  water." 

The  attendant  brought  a  glass  of  water,  which  I  drank,  and 
recovered  myself.  "  You  appear  to  be  much  interested  in  this 
young  man's  welfare." 

" I  am  sir,"  replied  I  ;  "no  one  can  be  more  so." 

The  secretary  now  made  his  appearance  with  the  register, 


200  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

and  after  turning  over  the  leaves,  read  as  follows  :  "  August 

the  16th, a  gentleman  came  to  inquire  after  an  infant 

left  here,  the  name  of  Japhet,  with  whom  money  had  been 
deposited — Japhet,  christened  by  order  of  the  governors, 
Japhet  Newlaud — referred  to  the  shop  of  Mr.  Cophagus, 
Smithfield  Market.  He  returned  the  next  day,  saying  that 
Mr.  Cophagus  had  retired  from  business — that  the  parties  in 
the  shop  knew  nothing  for  certain,  but  believed  that  the  said 
Japhet  Newland  had  been  transported  for  life  for  forgery, 
about  a  year  before." 

"  Good  heavens  !  what  an  infamous  assertion  1"  exclaimed  I, 
clasping  my  hands. 

"  On  reference  back  to  the  calendar,  we  observed  that  one 
J.  Newland  was  transported  for  such  an  offence.  Query  ?" 

"  It  must  have  been  some  other  person;  but  this  has  arisen 
from  the  vindictive  feelings  of  those  two  scoundrels  who  served 
under  Pleggit,"  cried  I. 

"  How  can  you  possibly  tell,  sir  ?"  mildly  observed  one  of 
the  governors. 

"  How  can  I  tell,  sir  ?"  replied  I,  starting  from  my  chair. 
"  Why,  I  am  Japhet  Newland  myself,  sir." 

"  You,  sir,"  replied  the  governor,  surveying  my  fashionable 
exterior,  my  chains,  and  bijouterie. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  am  the  Japhet  Newland  brought  up  in  this  asy- 
lum, and  who  was  apprenticed  to  Mr.  Cophagus." 

"  Probably,  then,  sir,"  replied  the  president,  "  you  are  the 
Mr.  Newland  whose  name  appears  at  all  the  fashionable  parties 
in  high  life  ?" 

"  I  believe  that  I  am  the  same  person,  sir." 

"  I  wish  you  joy  upon  your  success  in  the  world,  sir.  It 
would  not  appear  that  it  can  be  very  important  to  you  to  dis« 
cover  your  parents." 

"  Sir,"  replied  I,  "  you  have  never  known  what  it  is  to  feel 
the  want  of  parents  and  fTTends.  Fortunate  as  you  may  con- 
sider me  to  be — and  I  acknowledge  I  have  every  reason  to  be 
grateful  for  my  unexpected  rise  in  life — I  would,  at  this  mo- 


JAPHET,  IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER  201 

ment,  give  up  all  that  I  am  worth,  resume  my  Foundliug  dress 
and  be  turned  out  a  beggar,  if  I  could  but  discover  the  authors 
of  my  existence."  I  then  bowed  low  to  the  governors,  and 
quitted  the  room 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

MISCHIEF    BREWING TIMOTHY  AND    I    SET    OUR  WITS    TO  WORK,  AND 

HE    RESUMES    HIS    OLD    PROFESSION    OF    A   GIPSY. 

I  HASTENED  home  with  feelings  too  painful  to  be  described.  I 
had  a  soreness  at  my  heart,  an  oppression  on  my  spirits,  which 
weighed  me  down.  I  had  but  one  wish — that  I  was  dead.  I 
had  already  imparted  to  Harcourt  the  history  of  my  life  ;  and 
when  I  came  in,  I  threw  myself  upon  the  sofa  in  despair,  and 
relieved  my  agonized  heart  with  a  flood  of  tears.  As  soon  as 
I  could  compose  myself,  I  stated  what  had  occurred. 

"  My  dear  Newland,  although  it  has  been  an  unfortunate  oc- 
currence in  itself,  I  do  not  see  that  yon  have  so  much  cause  to 
grieve,  for  you  have  this  satisfaction,  that  it  appears  there  has 
been  a  wish  to  reclaim  you." 

"  Yes,"  replied  I,  "  I  grant  that ;  but  have  they  not  been  told, 
and  have  they  not  believed,  that  I  have  been  ignominiously 
punished  for  a  capital  crime  ?  Will  they  ever  seek  me  more  ?" 

"  Probably  not ;  you  must  now  seek  them.  What  I  should 
recommend  is,  that  you  repair  to-morrow  to  the  apothecary's 
shop,  and  interrogate  relative  to  the  person  who  called  to 
make  inquiries  after  you.  If  you  will  allow  me,  I  will  go  with 
yon." 

"And  be  insulted  by  those  malignant  scoundrels?" 

"  They  dare  not  insult  you.  As  an  apothecary's  apprentice 
they  would,  but  as  a  gentleman  they  will  quail  ;  and  if  they 
do  not,  their  master  will  most  certainly  be  civil,  and  give  you 
all  the  information  which  he  can.  We  may  as  well,  however 


202  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

not  do  things  by  halves;  I  will  borrow  my  aunt's  carriage  foi 
the  morning,  and  we  will  go  in  style." 

"  I  think  I  will  call  this  evening  upon  Mr.  Masterton,  aua 
ask  his  advice." 

"  Ask  him  to  accompany  us,  Newland,  and  he  will  frighten 
them  with  libel  and  defamation  of  character." 

I  called  upon  Mr.  Masterton  that  evening,  and  told  my 
story.  "It  is,  indeed,  very  provoking,  Newland;  but  keep 
your  courage  up,  I  will  go  with  you  to-morrow,  and  will  see 
what  we  can  make  of  it.  At  what  tune  do  you  propose  to 
start  ?" 

"  Will  it  suit  you,  sir,  if  we  call  at  one  o'clock  ?" 

"  Yes;  so  good  night,  my  boy,  for  I  have  something  here 
which  I  must  contrive  to  get  through  before  that  time." 

Harcourt  had  procured  the  carriage,  and  we  picked  up  Mr. 
Masterton  at  the  hour  agreed,  and  proceeded  to  Smithfield. 
When  we  drove  up  to  the  door  of  Mr.  Pleggit's  shop,  the  assis- 
tants at  first  imagined  that  it  was  a  mistake;  few  handsome 
carriages  are  to  be  seen  stopping  hi  this  quarter  of  the  metro- 
polis. We  descended  and  entered  the  shop,  Mr.  Masterton 
inquiring  if  Mr.  Pleggit  was  at  home.  The  shopmen,  who  had 
not  recognised  me,  bowed  to  the  ground  in  their  awkward  way, 
and  one  ran  to  call  Mr.  Pleggit,  who  was  up  stairs.  Mr.  Pleg- 
git descended,  and  we  walked  into  the  back  parlour.  Mr. 
Masterton  then  told  him  the  object  of  our  calling,  and  requested 
to  know  why  the  gentleman  who  had  inquired  after  me  had 
been  sent  away  with  the  infamous  fabrication  that  I  had  been 
transported  for  forgery.  Mr.  Pleggit  protested  innocence— re- 
collected, however,  that  a  person  had  called — would  make  every 
inquiry  of  his  shopmen.  The  head  man  was  called  in  and  inter- 
rogated— at  first  he  appeared  to  make  a  joke  of  it,  but  when 
threatened  by  Mr.  Masterton  became  humble — acknowledged 
that  they  had  said  that  I  was  transported,  for  they  had  read  it 
in  the  newspapers — was  sorry  for  the  mistake;  said  that  the 
gentleman  was  a  very  tail  person,  very  well  dressed,  very  much 
of  a  gentleman — could  not  recollect  his  exact  dress — Wi8  a 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  203 

large  built  man,  with  a  stern  face — but  seemed  very  much  agi 
tated  when  he  heard  that  I  had  been  transported.  Called 
twice,  Mr.  Pleggit  was  not  in  at  first — left  his  name — thinks 
the  name  was  put  down  on  the  day-book — when  he  called  a 
second  time,  Mr.  Pleggit  was  at  home,  and  referred  him  to 
them,  not  knowing  what  had  become  of  me.  The  other  shop- 
man was  examined,  and  his  evidence  proved  similar  to  that  01 
the  first.  The  day-book  was  sent  for,  and  the  day  in  August 

referred  to;  there  was  a  name  written  down  on  the  side  of 

the  page,  which  the  shopman  said  he  had  no  doubt,  indeed  he 
could  almost  swear,  was  the  gentleman's  name,  as  there  was  no 
other  name  put  down  on  that  day.  The  name,  as  taken  down, 
was  Derbennon.  This  was  all  the  information  we  could  obtain, 
and  we  then  quitted  the  shop,  and  drove  off  without  there  being 
any  recognition  of  me  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Pleggit  and  his  assis- 
tants. 

"I  never  heard  that  name  before,"  observed  Harcourt  to  Mr. 
Masterton. 

"  It  is,  in  all  probability,  De  Benyon,"  replied  the  lawyer  : 
"we  must  make  allowances  for  their  ignorance.  At  all  events, 
this  is  a  sort  of  clue  to  follow  up.  The  De  Benyons  are 
Irish." 

"Then  I  will  set  off  for  Ireland  to-morrow  morning,  sir," 
said  I. 

"  You  will  do  no  such  thing,"  replied  the  lawyer  ;  "  but  you 
will  call  upon  me  to-morrow  evening,  and  perhaps  I  may  have 
something  to  say  to  you." 

I  did  not  fail  to  attend  Mr.  Masterton,  who  stated  that  he 
had  made  every  inquiry  relative  to  the  De  Benyons  ;  as  he  had 
said,  they  were  an  Irish  family  of  the  highest  rank,  and  bold- 
ing  the  peerage  of  De  Beauvoir  ;  but  that  he  had  written  to 
his  agent  in  Dublin,  giving  him  directions  to  obtain  for  him 
every  possible  information  in  his  power  relative  to  all  the  indi- 
viduals composing  it.  Till  this  had  been  received,  all  that  I 
could  do  was  to  remain  quiet.  I  then  narrated  to  him  the 
behaviour  of  the  agent,  Mr.  Iving,  to  Timothy.  "There  ii 


204  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  3F  A  FATHER. 

Borne  mystery  there,  most  assuredly,"  observed  Mr.  Masterton  ; 
"  when  do  you  go  again  to ?" 

I  replied,  that  it  was  not  my  intention  to  go  there  for  some 
time,  unless  he  would  wish  to  see  the  little  girl. 

"  I  do,  Newland.  I  think  I  must  take  her  under  my  protec- 
tion as  well  as  you.  We  will  go  down  to-morrow.  Sunday  is 
the  only  day  I  can  spare  ;  but  it  must  be  put  down  as  a  work 
of  charity." 

The  next  day  we  went  down  to .  Fleta  was  surprised 

to  see  me  so  soon,  and  Mr.  Masterton  was  much  struck  with 
the  elegance  and  classical  features  of  my  little  protegee.  He 
asked  her  many  questions,  and,  with  his  legal  tact,  contrived  to 
draw  from  her  many  little  points  relative  to  her  infant  days, 
which  she  had,  till  he  put  his  probing  questions,  quite  forgotten. 
As  we  returned  to  town,  he  observed,  "  You  are  right,  Japhet; 
that  is  no  child  of  humble  origin.  Her  very  appearance 
contradicts  it ;  but  we  have,  I  think,  a  chance  of  discovering 
who  she  is — a  better  one,  I'm  afraid,  than  at  present  we  have 
for  your  identification.  But  never  mind,  let  us  trust  to  perse- 
verance." 

For  three  weeks  I  continued  to  live  with  Harcourt,  but  I 
did  not  go  out  much.  Such  was  the  state  of  my  affairs,  when 
Timothy  came  to  my  room  one  morning,  and  said  :  "  I  do  not 
know  whether  you  have  observed  it,  sir  ;  but  there  is  a  man 
constantly  lurking  about  here,  watching  the  house,  I  believe. 
I  think,  but  still  I'm  not  quite  sure,  that  I  have  seen  his  face 
before  ;  but  where  I  cannot  recollect." 

"  Indeed,  what  sort  of  a  person  may  he  be  ?" 

"He  is  a  very  dark  man,  stout,  and  well  made  ;  and  is 
dressed  in  a  sort  of  half-sailor,  half-gentleman's  dress,  such  as 
you  see  put  on  by  those  who  belong  to  the  Funny  Clubs  on  the 
river  ;  but  he  is  not  at  all  a  gentleman  himself — quite  the  con- 
trary It  is  now  about  a  week  that  I  have  seen  him  every  day; 
and  I  have  watched  him,  and  perceive  that  he  generally  follows 
rou  as  soon  as  you  go  out." 

fc  Well,"  replied  I,  "  we  must  find  out  what  he  wants  —if  we 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  205 

can.     Point  him  out  to  me  ;  I  will  soon  see  if  he  is  tracing  my 
ateps." 

Timothy  pointed  him  out  to  me  after  breakfast ;  I  could  not 
recollect  the  face,  and  yet  it  appeared  that  I  had  seen  it  before 
I  went  out,  and  after  passing  half  a  dozen  streets,  I  turned 
round  and  perceived  that  the  man  was  dodging  me.  I  took  no 
notice,  but  being  resolved  to  try  him  again,  I  walked  to  the 
White  Horse  Cellar,  and  took  a  seat  inside  a  Brentford  coach 
about  to  start.  On  my  arrival  at  Brentford,  I  got  out,  and 
perceived  that  the  man  was  on  the  roof.  Of  a  sudden  it 
flashed  on  my  memory — it  was  the  gipsy  who  had  come  to  the 
camp  with  the  communication  to  Melchior,  which  induced  him 
to  quit  it.  I  recollected  him — and  his  kneeling  down  by  the 
stream  and  washing  his  face.  The  mystery  was  solved — Mel- 
chior had  employed  him  to  find  ont  the  residence  of  Fleta.  In 
all  probability  they  had  applied  to  the  false  address  given  by 
Timothy,  and  in  consequence  were  trying,  by  watching  my 
motions,  to  find  out  the  true  one.  "  You  shall  be  deceived  at 
all  events,"  thought  I,  as  I  walked  on  through  Brentford  until 
I  came  to  a  ladies'  seminary.  I  rang  the  bell,  and  was  admit- 
ted, stating  my  wish  to  know  the  terms  of  the  school  for  a 
young  lady,  and  contrived  to  make  as  long  a  stay  as  I  could, 
promising  to  call  again,  if  the  relatives  of  the  young  lady  were 
as  satisfied  as  I  professed  to  be.  On  my  quitting  the  house,  I 
perceived  that  my  gipsy  attendant  was  not  far  off.  I  took  the 
first  stage  back,  and  returned  to  my  lodgings.  When  I  had 
told  all  that  had  occurred  to  Timothy,  he  replied  :  "  I  think, 
sir,  that  if  you  could  replace  me  for  a  week  or  two,  I  could 
now  be  of  great  service.  He  does  not  know  me,  and  if  I  were 
to  darken  my  face,  and  put  on  a  proper  dress,  I  think  I 
should  have  no  difficulty  in  passing  myself  off  as  one  of  the 
tribe,  knowing  their  slang,  and  having  been  so  much  with 
them." 

"  But  what  good  do  you  anticipate,  Timothy  ?" 
"  My  object  is  to  find  ont  where  he  puts  up,  and  to  take  the 
«me  quarters — make  his  acquaintance,  and  find  out  who  Mel- 


206  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

cbior  is,  and  where  he  lives.    My  knowledge  of  him  and  Nattee 
may  perhaps  assist  me." 

"  You  must  be  careful,  then,  Timothy  ;  for  he  may  know 
sufficient  of  our  history  to  suspect  you." 

"  Let  me  alone,  sir.     Do  you  like  my  proposal  ?" 
"  Yes,  I  do  ;  you  may  commence  your  arrangements  imme- 
diately." 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

I  SET  OFF  ON  A  WILD  GOOSE  CHASE AND  FALL  IN  WITH  AN  OLE 

FRIEND. 

THE  next  morning,  Timothy  had  procured  me  another  valet, 
and  throwing  off  his  liveries,  made  his  appearance  in  the  even- 
ing, sending  up  to  say  a  man  wished  to  speak  to  me.  He  was 
dressed  in  highlow  boots,  worsted  stockings,  greasy  leather 
small  clothes,  a  shag  waistcoat,  and  a  blue  frock  overall.  His 
face  was  stained  of  a  dark  olive,  and  when  he  was  ushered  in, 
Harcourt,  who  was  sitting  at  table  with  me,  had  not  the 
slightest  recognition  of  him.  As  Harcourt  knew  all  my  secrets, 
I  had  confided  this  ;  I  had  not  told  him  what  Timothy's  inten- 
tions were,  as  I  wished  to  ascertain  whether  his  disguise  was 
complete.  I  had  merely  said  I  had  given  Timothy  leave  for  a 
few  days. 

"Perhaps  you  may  wish  me  away  for  a  short  time,"  said 
Harcourt,  looking  at  Tim. 

"  Not  at  all,  my  dear  Harcourt,  why  should  I  ?  There's 
nobody  here  but  you  and  Timothy." 

"  Timothy  1  excellent — upon  my  word,  I  never  should  have 
known  him." 

"  He  is  going  forth  on  his  adventures." 

"  And  if  you  please,  sir,  I  will  lose  no  time  It  is  now  dark 
and  I  know  where  the  gipsy  hangs  out." 


JAPHET,    IN  SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  207 

'  Success  attend  you,  then  ;  but  be  careful,  Tim.  You  Lad 
better  write  to  me,  instead  of  calling." 

"  I  had  the  same  idea  ;  and  now  I  wish  you  a  good  even- 
ing." 

When  Timothy  quitted  the  room,  I  explained  our  intentions 
to  Harcourt.  "  Yours  is  a  strange  adventurous  sort  of  life 
Newland  ;  you  are  constantly  plotted  against,  and  plotting  in 
your  turn — mines  and  counter-mines.  I  have  an  idea  that  you 
will  turn  out  some  grand  personage  after  all  ;  for  if  not,  why 
should  there  be  all  this  trouble  about  you  ?" 

"  The  trouble,  in  the  present  case,  is  all  about  Fleta ;  who 
must,  by  your  argument,  turn  out  some  grand  personage." 

"Well,  perhaps  she  may.  I  should  like  to  see  that  little 
girl,  Newland." 

"  That  cannot  be  just  now,  for  reasons  you  well  know  ;  but 
some  other  time  it  will  give  me  great  pleasure." 

On  the  second  day  after  Tim's  departure,  I  received  a  letter 
from  him  by  the  twopenny  post.  He  had  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  gipsy,  but  had  not  extracted  any  information, 
being  as  yet  afraid  to  venture  any  questions.  He  further  stated 
that  his  new  companion  had  no  objection  to  a  glass  or  two,  and 
that  he  had  no  doubt  but  that  if  he  could  contrive  to  make  him 
tipsy,  in  a  few  days  he  would  have  some  important  intelligence 
to  communicate.  I  was  in  a  state  of  great  mental  agitation 
during  this  time.  I  went  to  Mr.  Masterton,  and  narrated  to 
him  all  that  had  passed.  He  was  surprised  and  amused,  and 
desired  me  not  to  fail  to  let  him  have  the  earliest  intelligence 
of  what  came  to  light.  He  had  not  received  any  answer  as  yet 
from  his  agent  in  Dublin. 

It  was  not  until  eight  days  afterwards  that  I  received  further 
communication  from  Timothy  ;  and  I  was  in  a  state  of  great 
impatience,  combined  with  anxiety,  lest  any  accident  should 
have  happened.  His  communication  was  important.  He  was 
on  the  most  intimate  footing  with  the  man,  who  had  proposed 
that  he  should  assist  him  to  carry  off  a  little  girl,  who  was  at  a 
school  at  Brentford.  They  had  been  consulting  how  this 


208  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

should  be  done,  and  Timothy  had  proposed  forging  a  letter, 
desiring  her  to  conie  up  to  town,  and  his  carrying  it  as  a  livery 
servant.  The  man  had  also  other  plans,  one  of  which  was  to 
obtain  an  entrance  into  the  house  by  making  acquaintance  with 
the  servants  ;  another,  by  calling  to  his  aid  some  of  the  women 
of  his  fraternity  to  tell  fortunes  :  nothing  was  as  yet  decided, 
but  that  he  was  resolved  to  obtain  possession  of  the  little  girl, 
even  if  he  were  obliged  to  resort  to  force.  In  either  case,  Tim- 
othy was  engaged  to  assist. 

When  I  read  this,  I  more  than  congratulated  myself  upon 
the  man's  being  on  the  wrong  scent,  and  that  Timothy  had  hit 
upon  his  scheme.  Timothy  continued  :  that  they  had  indulged 
in  very  deep  potations  last  night,  and  that  the  man  had  not 
scrupled  to  say  that  he  was  employed  by  a  person  of  large  for- 
tune, who  paid  well,  and  whom  it  might  not  be  advisable  to 
refuse,  as  he  had  great  power.  After  some  difficulty,  he  asked 
Timothy  if  he  had  ever  heard  the  name  of  Melchior  in  his  tribe 
Timothy  replied  that  he  had,  and  that  at  the  gathering  he  had 
seen  him  and  his  wife.  Timothy  at  one  time  thought  that  the 
man  was  about  to  reveal  every  thing,  but  of  a  sudden  he  stop- 
ped short,  and  gave  evasive  answers.  To  a  question  put  by 
Timothy,  as  to  where  they  were  to  take  the  child  if  they 
obtained  possession  of  her,  the  man  replied,  that  she  would  go 
over  the  water.  Such  were  the  contents  of  the  letter,  and  I 
eagerly  awaited  a  further  communication. 

The  next  day  I  called  at  Long's  Hotel  upon  a  gentleman 
with  whom  I  was  upon  intimate  terms.  After  remaining  a 
short  time  with  him,  I  was  leaving  the  hotel,  when  I  was 
attracted  by  some  trunks  in  the  entrance  hall.  I  started 
when  I  read  the  address  of — "  A.  De  Benyon,  Esq.,  to  be  left  at 

F 1  Hotel,  Dublin."  I  asked  the  waiter  who  was  by, 

whether  Mr.  De  Benyon  had  left  the  hotel.  He  replied  that 
he  had  left  it  in  his  own  carriage  that  morning,  and  having 
more  luggage  than  he  could  take  with  him,  had  desired  these 
trunks  to  be  forwarded  by  the  coach.  I  had  by  that  time 
resumed  my  serenity  I  took  out  a  memorandum-book,  wrote 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FAPHEB.  20S 

down  the  address  on  the  trunks,  saying  that  I  was  sorry  not  to 
nave  seen  Mr.  De  Benyon,  and  that  I  would  write  to  him. 

But  if  I  composed  myself  before  the  waiter,  how  did  my 
heart  throb  as  I  hastily  passed  through  Bond  Street  to  my 
home  1  I  had  made  up  my  mind,  upon  what  very  slight 
grounds  the  reader  must  be  aware,  that  this  Mr.  De  Benyon 
either  must  be  my  father,  or,  if  not,  was  able  to  tell  me  who 
was.  Had  not  Mr.  Masterton  said  that  there  was  a  clue — 
had  he  not  written  to  Dublin?  The  case  was, to  my  excited 
imagination  as  clear  as  the  noon-day,  and  before  I  arrived  at 
home,  I  had  made  up  my  mind  in  what  manner  I  should  pro- 
ceed. It  was  then  about  four  o'clock.  I  hastily  packed  up 
my  portmanteau — took  with  me  all  my  ready  money,  about 
sixty  pounds,  and  sent  the  servant  to  secure  a  place  in  the  mail 
to  Holyhead.  He  returned,  stating  that  there  was  a  seat 
taken  for  me.  I  waited  till  half-past  five  to  see  Harcourt,  but 
he  did  not  come  home.  I  then  wrote  him  a  short  note,  telling 
him  where  I  was  going,  and  promising  to  write  as  soon  as  I 
arrived. 

"Ireland  is  to  be  the  ground  of  my  future  adventures,  my 
dear  Harcourt.  Call  upon  Mr.  Masterton,  and  tell  him  what 
I  have  done,  which  he  surely  will  approve.  Open  Timothy's 
letters,  and  let  me  have  their  contents.  I  leave  you  to  arrange 
and  act  for  me  in  every  respect  until  I  return.  In  the  mean 
time  believe  me, 

"  Ever  yours, 

"  J.  NEWLAND.' 

I  gave  the  letter  to  the  valet,  and  calling  a  coach  drove  to 

he  office,  and  in  less  than  five  minutes  afterwards  was  rolling 

away  to  Holyhead,  felicitating  myself  upon  my  promptitude 

aud  decision,  little  imagining  to  what  the  step  I  had  taken  was 

to  lead. 

It  was  a  very  dark  night  in  November  when  I  started  on 
my  expedition.  There  were  three  other  passengers  in  the 


210  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

mail,  none  of  whom  had  yet  spoken  a  word,  although  we  had 
made  several  miles  of  our  journey.  Muffled  up  in  my  cloak,  1 
indulged  in  my  own  reveries  as  usual,  building  up  castles  which 
toppled  over  one  after  another  as  I  built  and  rebuilt  again. 
At  last  one  of  the  passengers  blew  his  nose,  as  if  to  give 
warning  that  he  was  about  to  speak  ;  and  then  inquired  of  the 
gentleman  next  him  if  he  had  seen  the  evening  newspapers. 
The  other  replied  in  the  negative.  "  It  would  appear  that 
Ireland  is  not  in  a  very  quiet  state,  sir,"  observed  the  first. 

"  Did  you  ever  read  the  history  of  Ireland  ?"  inquired  the 
other. 

"  Not  very  particularly." 

"Then,  sir,  if  you  were  to  take  that  trouble,  you  will  find 
that  Ireland,  since  it  was  first  peopled,  never  has  been  in  a 
quiet  state,  nor  perhaps  ever  will.  It  is  a  species  of  human 
volcano — alwajs  either  smoking,  burning  or  breaking  out  into 
eruptions  and  fire." 

"  Very  true,  sir,"  replied  the  other.  "  I  am  told  the  White 
Boys  ire  mustering  in  large  numbers,  and  that  some  of  the 
districts  are  quite  impassable." 

"  Sir,  if  you  had  travelled  much  hi  Ireland,  yon  would  have 
found  out  that  many  of  the  districts  are  quite  impassable,  with- 
out the  impediment  of  the  White  Boys." 

"  You  have  been  a  great  deal  hi  Ireland,  then,  sir,"  replied 
the  other. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  the  other  with  a  consequential  air,  "  I  be- 
lieve I  may  venture  to  say  that  I  am  in  charge  of  some  of  the 
most  considerable  properties  in  Ireland." 

"  Lawyer — agent — five  per  cent. — and  so  on,"  muttered  the 
third  party,  who  sate  by  me,  and  had  not  yet  spoken. 

There  was  no  mistaking  him — it  was  my  former  master,  Mr. 
Cophagus  ;  and  I  cannot  say  that  I  was  very  well  pleased  at 
this  intimation  of  his  presence,  as  I  took  it  for  granted  that  he 
would  recognise  me  as  soon  as  it  was  daylight.  The  conver- 
sation continued,  without  any  remarks  being  made  upon  this 
interruption  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Cophagus.  The  agent,  it 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  211 

appeared,  had  been  called  to  London  on  business,  and  wag 
returning.  The  other  was  a  professor  of  music,  bound  to 
Dublin  on  speculation.  What  called  Mr.  Cophagus  in  that 
direction  I  could  not  comprehend  ;  but  I  thought  I  would 
try  and  find  out.  I  therefore,  while  the  two  others  were 
engaged  in  conversation,  addressed  him  in  a  low  tone  of  voice. 
"  Can  you  tell  me,  sir,  if  the  College  at  Dublin  is  considered 
good  for  the  instruction  of  surgical  pupils  ?" 

"Country  good,  at  all  events  plenty  of  practice — broken 
heads — and  so  on." 

"  Have  you  ever  been  in  Ireland,  sir  ?" 

"  Ireland  ! — never — don't  wish  to  go — must  go — old  women 
will  die — executor — botheration — and  so  on." 

"I  hope  she  has  left  you  a  good  legacy,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"  Legacy — hump — can't  tell — silver  tea-pot — suit  of  black, 
and  so  on.  Long  journey — won't  pay — can't  be  helped — old 
women  always  troublesome  alive  or  dead — bury  her,  come  back 
— and  so  on." 


CHAPTER    XL. 

I   DENY   MY   MASTER. 

ALTHOUGH  Mr.  Cophagus  was  very  communicative  in  his  own 
way,  he  had  no  curiosity  with  regard  to  others,  and  the  con- 
versation dropped.  The  other  two  had  also  asked  all  the  ques- 
tions which  they  wished,  and  we  all,  as  if  by  one  agreement, 
fell  back  in  our  seats,  and  shut  our  eyes,  to  court  sleep.  I  was 
the  only  one  who  wooed  it  in  vain.  Day  broke,  my  companions 
were  all  in  repose,  and  I  discontinued  my  reveries,  and  examin- 
ed their  physiognomies.  Mr.  Cophagus  was  the  first  to  whom 
I  directed  my  attention.  He  was  much  the  same  in  face  as 
when  I  had  left  him,  but  considerably  thinner  in  person.  Hia 
head  was  covered  with  a  white  nightcap,  and  he  snored  with 
emphasis.  The  professor  of  music  waa  a  very  small  man,  with 


212  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

mustacliios  :  his  mouth  was  wide  open  ;  and  one  would  have 
thought  that  he  was  in  the  full  execution  of  a  bravura.  The 
third  person,  who  had  stated  himself  to  be  an  agent,  was  a 
heavy,  full-faced,  coarse-looking  personage,  with  his  hat  over 
his  eyes,  and  his  head  bent  down  on  his  chest,  and  I  observed 
that  he  had  a  small  packet  in  one  of  his  hands,  with  his  fore 
finger  twisted  through  the  string.  I  should  not  have  taken 
further  notice,  had  not  the  name  of  T.  Iving,  in  the  corner  of 
the  side  on  which  was  the  direction,  attracted  my  attention.  It 
was  the  name  of  Melchior's  London  correspondent,  who  had 
attempted  to  bribe  Timothy.  This  induced  me  to  look  down  and 
read  the  direction  of  the  packet,  and  I  clearly  deciphered,  Sir 
Henry  de  Clare,  Bart.  Mount  Castle,  Connemara.  I  took  out 
my  tablets,  and  wrote  down  the  address.  I  certainly  had  no 
reason  for  so  doing,  except  that  nothing  should  be  neglected, 
as  there  was  no  saying  what  might  turn  out.  I  had  hardly 
replaced  my  tablets  when  the  party  awoke,  made  a  sort  of 
snatch  at  the  packet,  as  if  recollecting  it,  and  wishing  to  ascer- 
tain if  it  were  safe,  looked  at  it,  took  off  his  hat,  let  down  the 
window,  and  then  looked  round  upon  the  other  parties. 

"  Fine  morning,  sir,"  said  he  to  me,  perceiving  that  I  was 
the  only  person  awake. 

"  Very,"  replied  I,  "  very  fine  ;  but  I  had  rather  be  walking 
over  the  mountains  of  Connemara,  than  be  shut  up  in  this  close 
and  confined  conveyance." 

"  Hah  !  you  know  Connemara,  then  ?  I'm  going  there  ; 
perhaps  you  are  also  bound  to  that  part  of  the  country  ?  but 
you  are  not  Irish." 

"  I  was  not  born  or  bred  in  Ireland,  certainly,"  replied  I. 

"So  I  should  say.  Irish  blood  in  your  veins,  I  pre- 
sume." 

"  I  believe  such  to  be  the  case,"  replied  I,  with  a  smile, 
implying  certainty. 

"  Do  you  know  Sir  Henry  de  Clare  ?" 

"  Sir  Henry  de  Clare — of  Mount  Castle — is  he  not  f 

"  The  same  ;  I  am  going  over  to  him.     I  am  agent  for  his 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  213 

estates,  among  others.  A  very  remarkable  man  Have  you 
ever  seen  his  wife  ?" 

"  I  really  cannot  tell,"  replied  I ;  "  let  me  call  to  mind." 

J  had  some  how  or  another  formed  an  idea,  that  Sir  Henry 
de  Clare  and  Melchior  might  be  one  and  the  same  person  ; 
nothing  was  too  absurd  or  improbable  for  my  imagination,  and 
1  had  now  means  of  bringing  home  my  suspicions.  "  I  think," 
continued  I,  "  I  recollect  her — that  is,  she  is  a  very  tall,  hand- 
some woman,  dark  eyes  and  complexion." 

"  The  very  same,"  replied  he. 

My  heart  bounded  at  the  information  ;  it  certainly  was  not 
any  clue  to  my  own  parentage,  but  it  was  an  object  of  my 
solicitude,  and  connected  with  the  welfare  of  Fleta.  "If  I 
recollect  right,"  observed  I,  "  there  are  some  curious  passages 
in  the  life  of  Sir  Henry  ?" 

"  Nothing  very  particular,"  observed  the  agent,  looking  out 
of  the  window. 

"  I  thought  that  he  had  disappeared  for  some  time." 

"  Disappeared  !  he  certainly  did  not  live  in  Ireland,  because 
he  had  quarrelled  with  his  brother.  He  lived  in  England  until 
his  brother's  death." 

"  How  did  his  brother  die,  sir  ?" 

"  Killed  by  a,  fall  when  hunting,"  replied  the  agent.  "  He 
was  attempting  to  clear  a  stone  wall,  the  horse  fell  back  on 
him,  and  dislocated  his  spine.  I  was  on  the  spot  when  the 
accident  happened." 

I  recollected  the  imperfect  communication  of  Fleta,  who  had 
heard  the  gipsy  say  that  "  he  was  dead  ;"  and  also  the  word 
horse  made  use  of,  and  I  now  felt  convinced  that  I  had  found 
out  Melchior.  "  Sir  Henry,  if  I  recollect  right,  has  no  family," 
observed  I. 

"  No  ;  and  I  am  afraid  there  is  but  little  chance." 

"  Had  the  late  baronet,  his  elder  brother,  any  family  ?" 

"  What,  Sir  William  ?  No  ;  or  Sir  Henry  would  not  have 
some  into  the  title." 

''  He  might  have  had  daughters,"  replied  I. 


214  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER. 

"  Very  true  ;  now  I  think  of  it,  there  was  a  girl,  who  died 
when  young." 

"  Is  the  widow  of  Sir  William  alive  ?" 

"  Yes  ;  and  a  very  fine  woman  she  is  ;  but  she  has  left 
Ireland  since  her  husband's  death." 

I  did  not  venture  to  ask  any  more  questions.  Our  conversa- 
tion had  roused  Mr.  Cophagus  and  the  other  passenger  ;  and 
as  I  had  reflected  how  I  should  behave  in  case  of  recognition, 
I  wished  to  be  prepared  for  him.  "  You  have  had  a  good  nap, 
sir,"  said  I,  turning  to  him. 

"  Nap — yes — coach  nap,  bad — head  sore — and  so  on.  Why 
-  —bless  me — Japhet — Japhet  New — yes — it  is." 

"  Do  you  speak  to  me,  sir  ?"  inquired  I,  with  a  quiet  air. 

"  Speak  to  you — yes — bad  memory — hip  !  quite  forgot — old 
master — shop  in  Sinithfield — mad  bull — and  so  on." 

"  Really,  sir,"  replied  I,  "I  am  afraid  you  mistake  me  for 
some  other  person." 

Mr.  Cophagus  looked  very  hard  at  me,  and  perceiving  that 
there  was  no  alteration  in  my  countenance,  exclaimed,  "  Very 
odd — same  nose — same  face — same  age  too — very  odd — like  as 
two  pills — beg  pardon — made  a  mistfake — and  so  on." 

Satisfied  with  the  discomfiture  oiF  Mr.  Cophagus,  I  turned 
round,  when  I  perceived  the  Irish  agent,  with  whom  I  had 
been  in  conversation,  eyeing  me  most  attentively.  As  I  said 
before,  he  was  a  hard-featured  man,  and  his  small  grey  eye  was 
now  fixed  upon  me,  as  if  it  would  have  pierced  me  through.  I 
felt  confused  for  a  moment,  as  the  scrutiny  was  unexpected 
from  that  quarter  ;  but  a  few  moments'  reflection  told  me,  that 
if  Sir  Henry  de  Clare  and  Melchior  were  the  same  person,  and 
this  man  his  agent,  in  all  probability  he  had  not  been  sent  to 
England  for  nothing  ;  that  if  he  was  in  search  of  Fleta,  he 
must  have  heard  of  my  name,  and  perhaps  something  of  my 
history  "  I  appear  to  have  a  great  likeness  to  many  people," 
observed  I,  to  the  agent,  smiling.  "  It  was  but  the  other  day 
I  was  stopped  in  Bond  Street  as  a  Mr.  Rawlinson." 

"  Not  a  very  common  face  either,  sir,"  observed  the  agent : 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  215 

'if  once  seen  not  easily  forgotten,  nor  easily  mistaken  for 
another." 

"  Still  snch  appears  to  be  the  case,"  replied  I,  carelessly 

We  now  stopped  to  take  refreshment.  I  had  risen  from  the 
table,  and  was  going  into  the  passage,  when  I  perceived  the 
agent  looking  over  the  way-bill  with  the  guard.  As  soon  as  he 
perceived  me,  he  walked  out  in  front  of  the  inn.  Before  the 
guard  had  put  up  the  bill,  I  requested  to  look  at  it,  wishing  to 
ascertain  if  I  had  been  booked  in  my  own  name.  It  was  so. 
The  four  names  were  Newland,  Cophagus,  Baltzi,  M'Dermott. 
I  was  much  annoyed  at  this  circumstance.  M'Dermott  was,  of 
course,  the  name  of  the  agent ;  and  that  was  all  the  information 
I  received  in  return  for  my  own  exposure,  which  I  now  con- 
sidered certain  ;  I  determined,  however,  to  put  a  good  face  on 
the  matter,  and  when  we  returned  to  the  coach,  again  entered 
into  conversation  with  Mr.  M'Dermott,  but  I  found  him  par- 
ticularly guarded  in  his  replies  whenever  I  spoke  about  Sir 
Henry  or  his  family,  and  I  could  not  obtain  any  further  infor- 
mation. Mr.  Cophagus  could  not  keep  his  eyes  off  me — he 
peered  into  my  face — then  he  would  fall  back  in  the  coach. 
"  Odd — very  odd — must  be — no — says  not — um."  In  about 
another  half  hour,  he  would  repeat  his  examination,  and  muttei 
to  himself.  At  last,  as  if  tormented  with  his  doubts,  he  ex- 
Claimed,  "  Beg  pardon — but — you  have  a  name  ?" 

"Yes,"  replied  I,  "  I  have  a  name." 

"  Well,  then — not  ashamed.     What  is  it  ?" 

"  My  name,  sir,"  I  replied,  "  is  Newland  ;"  for  I  had  resolved 
to  acknowledge  my  name,  and  to  fall  back  upon  a  new  line  of 
defence. 

"Thought  so — don't  know  me — don't  recollect  shop — Mr. 
Brookes's — Tim — rudiments — and  so  on." 

"  I  have  not  the  least  objection  to  tell  you  my  name  ;  but  1 
um  afraid  you  have  the  advantage  in  your  recollection  of  me. 
Whore  may  I  have  had  the  honour  of  meeting  you  ?" 

"  Meeting — what,  quite  forgot — Smithfield  V 

"  And  pray,  sir,  where  may  Sraithfield  be  ?" 


'216  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Very  odd — can't  comprehend — same  name,  same  face — 
don't  recollect  me,  don't  recollect  Smithfield  ?" 

"  It  may  be  very  odd,  sir  ;  but,  as  I  am  very  well  known  in 
London,  at  the  west  end,  perhaps  we  have  met  there.  Lord 
Winder mear's,  perhaps — Lady  Maelstrom's  ?" — and  I  continued 
mentioning  about  a  dozen  of  the  most  fashionable  names.  "  At 
all  events,  you  appear  to  have  the  advantage  of  me  ;  but  I  trust 
you  will  excuse  my  want  of  memory,  as  my  acquaintance  is  very 
extensive." 

"  I  see — quite  a  mistake — same  name,  not  same  person — beg 
pardon,  sir — apologies — and  so  on,"  replied  the  apothecary 
drawiug  in  a  long  sigh. 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

I   TURN    LAWYER. 

I  WATCHED  the  countenance  of  the  agent,  who  appeared  at  last 
to  be  satisfied  that  there  had  been  some  mistake  ;  at  least  he 
became  more  communicative  ;  and  as  I  no  longer  put  any  ques- 
tions to  him  relative  to  Sir  Henry,  we  had  a  long  conversation. 
I  spoke  to  him  about  the  De  Beuyons,  making  every  inquiry  that 
I  could  think  of.  He  informed  me  that  the  deceased  earl,  the 
father  of  the  present,  had  many  sons,  who  were  some  of  them 
married,  and  that  the  family  was  extensive.  He  appeared  to 
know  them  all,  the  professions  which  they  had  been  brought 
up  to,  and  their  careers  in  life.  I  treasured  up  his  information, 
and,  as  soon  as  I  had  an  opportunity,  wrote  down  all  which  he 
had  told  me.  On  our  arrival  at  Holyhead,  the  weather  was 
very  boisterous,  and  the  packet  was  to  depart  immediately 
Mr.  M'Dermott  stated  his  intentions  to  go  over,  but  Mr  Co- 
phagus  and  the  professor  declined  ;  and,  anxious  as  I  was  to 
proceed,  I  did  not  wish  to  be  any  longer  in  company  with  the 
agent,  and  therefore,  also  declined  going  on  board.  Mr 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A   FATHER.  217 

M'Dermott  called  for  a  glass  of  brandy  and  water,  drank  it 
off  in  haste,  and  then,  followed  by  the  porter,  with  his  luggage, 
went  down  to  embark. 

As  soon  as  he  was  gone,  I  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter. 
"  Well,  Mr.  Cophagus,  acknowledge  that  it  is  possible  to  per 
suade  a  man  out  of  his  senses.  You  knew  me,  and  you  were 
perfectly  right  in  asserting  that  I  was  Japhet,  yet  did  I  per- 
suade you  at  last  that  you  were  mistaken.  But  I  will  explain 
to  you  why  I  did  so." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  apothecary,  taking  my  proffered  hand, 
•'  thought  so — no  mistake — handsome  fellow — so  you  are — 
Japhet  Newland — my  apprentice — and  so  on." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  I  laughing,  "I  am  Japhet  Newland." 
(I  turned  round,  hearing  a  noise,  the  door  had  been  opened, 
and  Mr.  M'Dermott  had  just  stepped  in  ;  he  had  returned  for 
an  umbrella,  which  he  had  forgotten  ;  he  looked  at  me,  at 
Mr.  Cophagus,  who  still  held  my  hand  in  his,  turned  short 
round,  said  nothing,  and  walked  out.)  "  This  is  unfortunate," 
observed  I  :  "my  reason  for  not  avowing  myself  was  to  deceive 
that  very  person,  and  now  I  have  made  the  avowal  to  his  face ; 
however,  it  cannot  be  helped." 

I  sat  down  with  my  old  master,  and  as  I  knew  that  I  could 
confide  in  him,  gave  him  an  outline  of  my  life,  and  stated  my 
present  intentions. 

"  I  see,  Japhet,  I  see— done  mischief — sorry  for  it — can't  be 
helped — do  all  I  can — um — what's  to  be  done  1, — be  your 
friend — always  like  you — help  all  I  can — and  so  on." 

"  But  what  would  you  advise,  sir  ?" 

"  Advice — bad  as  physic — nobody  takes  it — Ireland — wild 
place — no  law — better  go  back — leave  all  to  me — find  out — 
aud  so  on." 

This  advice  I  certainly  could  not  consent  to  follow. 

We  argued  the  matter  over  for  some  time,  and  then  it  was 
agreed  that  we  should  proceed  together.  I  was  informed  by 
Mr.  Cophugus  that  he  had  retired  with  a  very  handsome  for- 
tune, aud  was  living  in  the  country,  about  ten  miles  from  the 

10 


218  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

metropolis  ;  that  he  had  been  summoned  to  attend  the  funcrai 
of  a  maiden  aunt  in  Dublin,  who  had  left  him  executor  and 
residuary  legatee,  but  that  he  knew  nothing  of  her  circum- 
stances. He  was  still  a  bachelor,  and  amused  himself  in  giving 
advice  and  medicines  gratis  to  the  poor  people  of  the  village  in 
which  he  resided,  there  being  no  resident  practitioner  within 
Borne  distance.  He  liked  the  country  very  much,  but  there  was 
one  objection  to  it — the  cattle.  He  had  not  forgotten  the  mad 
bull.  At  a  very  late  hour  we  retired  to  our  beds  :  the  next 
morning  the  weather  had  moderated,  and,  on  the  arrival  of  the 
mail,  we  embarked,  and  had  a  very  good  passage  over.  On 

my  arrival  at  Dublin  I  directed  my  steps  to  the  F 

Hotel,  as  the  best  place  to  make  inquiries  relative  to  Mr.  De 
Benyon.  Mr.  Cophagus  also  put  up  at  the  same  hotel,  and  we 
agreed  to  share  a  sitting-room. 

"  Waiter,"  said  I,  "  do  you  know  a  Mr.  De  Benyon  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  he  ;  "  there  is  one  of  the  De  Benyons  at 
the  hotel  at  this  moment." 

"  Is  he  a  married  man  ?" 

"  Yes — with  a  large  family  " 

"  What  is  his  Christian  name  ?" 

"  I  really  cannot  tell,  sir  ;  but  I'll  find  out  for  you  by  to- 
morrow morning." 

"  When  does  he  leave  ?" 

"  To  morrow,  I  believe." 

"  Do  ytfu  know  where  he  goes  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  to  his  own  seat." 

The  waiter  left  the  room.  "  Won't  do,  Japhet,"  said 
Cophagus.  "  Large  family — don't  want  more — hard  times,  and 
BO  on." 

"  No,"  replied  I,  "  it  does  not  exactly  answer  ;  but  I  may 
^rom  him  obtain  further  intelligence." 

"  Won't  do,  Japhet — try  another  way — large  family — want 
»11  uncle's  money — um — never  tell — good  night." 

This  remark  of  Mr  Cophagus  gave  me  an  idea,  upon  which 
[  proceeded  the  next  morning.  I  sent  in  my  card,  requesting 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

the  honour  of  speaking  to  Mr.  De  Benyon,  stating  that  I  had 
come  over  to  Ireland  on  business  of  importance,  but  that,  as  I 
must  be  back  if  possible  by  term  time,  it  would,  perhaps,  save 
much  expense  and  trouble.  The  waiter  took  in  the  message. 
"  Back  by  term  time — it  must  be  some  legal  gentleman.  Show 
him  up,"  said  Mr.  De  Benyon. 

I  walked  in  with  a  business-like-air.  "  Mr.  De  Benyon,  I 
believe  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  will  you  do  me  the  favour  to  take  a  chair  ?" 

I  seated  myself,  and  drew  out  my  memorandum  book.  "  My 
object,  Mr.  De  Benyon,  in  troubling  you,  is  to  ascertain  a  few 
particulars  relative  to  your  family,  which  we  cannot  so  easily 
find  out  in  England.  There  is  a  property  which  it  is  supposed 
may  be  claimed  by  one  of  the  De  Benyons,  but  which  we  can- 
not ascertain  until  we  have  a  little  search  into  the  genealogical 
tree." 

"  Is  the  property  large  ?"  inquired  Mr.  De  Benyon. 

"  Not  very  large,"  replied  I  ;  "  but  still  a  very  handsome 
property,  I  am  told."  The  reader  may  surmise  that  the  pro- 
perty referred  to  was  my  own  pretty  self.  "  May  I  ask  you  a 
few  particulars  relative  to  the  present  earl  and  his  brothers  ?" 

"  Most  certainly,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  De  Beiiyon  ;  "  any  infor- 
mation I  can  give  you  will  be  at  your  service.  The  earl  has 
four  brothers.  The  eldest  Maurice." 

"  IB  he  married  ?" 

•'  Yes,  and  has  two  children.     The  next  is  William." 

"  Is  he  married  ?" 

"  No  ;  nor  has  he  ever  been.  He  is  a  general  in  the  army 
The  third  is  myself,  Henry." 

"  You  are  married,  I  believe,  sir  ?" 

"  Yes,  with  a  large  family." 

"  May  I  request  you  will  proceed,  sir  ?" 

"  Arthur  is  the  fourth  brother.  He  is  lately  married,  and  has 
two  children  " 

"  Sir,  I  feel  much  obliged  to  you  ;  it  is  a  curious  and  intri- 
cate affair.  As  I  am  here  I  may  as  well  ask  one  question, 


220  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

although  not  of  great  consequence.  The  earl  is  married,  I  per- 
ceive, by  the  peerage,  but  I  do  not  find  that  he  has  any  child- 
ren" 

"  On  the  contrary,  he  has  two — and  prospects  of  more.  May 
T  now  request  the  particulars  connected  with  this  property  ?" 

"  The  exact  particulars,  sir,  I  cannot  well  tell  you,  as  I  am 
not  acquainted  with  them  myself ;  but  the  property  in  question, 
I  rather  think,  depends  upon  a  name.  May  I  venture  to  ask 
the  names  of  all  your  children  ?" 

Mr.  De  Benyon  gave  me  a  list  seriatim,  which  I  put  down 
with  great  gravity. 

"  Of  course,  there  is  no  doubt  of  your  second  brother  not 
being  married.  I  believe  we  ought  to  have  a  certificate.  Do 
you  know  his  address  ?" 

"  He  has  been  in  the  East  Indies  for  many  years.  He 
returned  home  on  furlough,  and  has  now  just  sailed  again  for 
Calcutta." 

"  That  is  unfortunate  ;  we  must  forward  a  letter  through  the 
India  Board.  May  I  also  be  favoured  with  your  address,  as  in 
all  probability  it  may  be  advisable  ?" 

Mr.  De  Benyon  gave  me  his  address.  I  rose,  promised  to 
give  him  all  the  particulars  as  soon  as  they  were  known  to  me, 
bowed,  and  made  my  exit.  To  one  who  was  in  his  sober  senses, 
there  certainly  was  not  any  important  information  gained  ;  but 
to  me,  it  was  evident  that  the  Mr.  De  Benyon  who  was  a  gen- 
eral in  the  army  was  to  be  interrogated,  and  I  had  almost  mado 
up  my  mind  to  set  oil  for  Calcutta. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  221 


CHAPTER   XLII. 

1  AFFRONT  AN   IRISH   GENTLEMAN  AND  MAKE  A  HANDSOME  APOLOGY, 
WHICH   IS   ACCEPTED. 

BEFORE  I  had  gained  my  own  room,  I  informed  Mr.  Cophagus, 
who  had  just  returned  from  a  visit  to  his  maiden  aunt's  house, 
of  what  had  passed. 

"  Can't  see  any  thing  in  it,  Japhet — wild  goose  chase — who 
told  you  ? — oh  I  Pleggit's  men — sad  liars — De  Benyon  not 
name,  depend  upon  it — all  stuff,  and  so  on." 

And  when  I  reflected,  I  could  but  acknowledge  that  the 
worthy  apothecary  might  be  right,  and  that  I  was  running 
after  shadows ;  but  this  was  only  in  my  occasional  fits  of  des- 
pondency :  1  soon  rallied,  and  was  as  sanguine  as  ever.  Unde- 
cided how  to  proceed,  and  annoyed  by  what  Cophagus  had  said, 
I  quitted  the  hotel,  to  walk  out  in  no  very  good  humour.  As  I 
went  out,  I  perceived  the  agent  M'Dermott  speaking  to  the 
people  in  the  bar,  and  the  sight  of  him  reminded  me  of  what, 
for  a  moment,  I  had  forgotten,  which  was,  to  ascertain  whether 
Melchior  and  Sir  Henry  de  Clare  were  one  and  the  same  per- 
son. As  I  passed  a  crossing,  a  man  in  tattered  habiliments, 
who  was  sweeping  it,  asked  for  alms,  but  being  in  no  very  cha- 
ritable humour,  I  walked  on.  He  followed  me,  pestering  me  so 
much,  that  I  gave  him  a  tap  with  the  cane  in  my  hand,  saying 
to  him,  "  Be  off,  you  scoundrel." 

"  Oh  !  very  well.  Be  off,  is  it  you  mane  ?  By  the  blood  of 
the  O'Rourkes,  but  you'll  answer  for  that  same,  any  how." 

I  passed  on,  and  having  perambulated  the  city  of  Dublin  for 
uome  time,  returned  to  the  hotel.  A  few  minutes  afterwards,  I 
was  told  by  the  waiter  that  a  Mr.  O'Donaghan  wished  to  speak 
to  me.  "  I  have  not  the  honour  of  his  acquaintance,"  replied  I, 
"  but  yon  may  show  him  up." 

Mr.  O'Donaghan  entered,  a  tall,  thick-whiskered  personage, 
in  a  shabby-genteel  dress,  evidently  not  made  for  him,  a  pair  of 


222  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

white  cotton  gloves,  ai.d  a  small  stick.  "  I  believe  that  1  Lave 
the  honour  of  speaking  to  the  gentleman  who  crossed  over  the 
street  about  two  hours  ago  ?" 

"Upon  my  word,  sir,"  replied  I,  "that  is  so  uncertain  a 
definition  that  I  can  hardly  pretend  to  say  whether  I  am  the 
person  you  mean  ;  indeed,  from  not  having  the  pleasure  of  any 
one's  acquaintance  in  Dublin,  I  rather  think  there  must  be  some 
mistake." 

"  The  devil  a  bit  of  a  mistake,  at  all  at  all ;  for  there's  the 
little  bit  of  a  cane  with  which  you  paid  my  friend,  Mr.  O'Rourke, 
the  compliment  over  his  shoulders." 

"  I  really  am  quite  mystified,  sir,  and  do  not  understand  you  ; 
will  you  favour  me  with  an  explanation  ?" 

"  With  all  the  pleasure  in  life,  for  then  we  shall  come  to 
a  right  understanding.  You  were  crossing  the  street,  and 
a  gentleman,  a  particular  friend  of  mine,  with  a  broom 
which  he  carries  for  his  own  amusement,  did  himself  the 
honour  to  address  yon,  whereupon,  of  that  same  little  stick  of 
yours,  you  did  him  the  honour  to  give  him  a  slight  taste." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  do  you  refer  to  the  sweeper,  who  was 
so  importunate  when  I  crossed  over  the  road  ?" 

"  Then,  by  the  powers,  you've  just  hit  it,  as  you  did 
him.  That's  my  particular  friend,  Thaddeus  O'Rourke,  gen- 
tleman." 

"  Gentleman  !"  exclaimed  I. 

"  And  with  as  good  and  as  true  Milesian  blood  as  any  in 
Ireland.  If  you  think,  sir,  that  because  my  friend,  just  for  his 
own  amusement,  thinks  proper  to  put  on  the  worst  of  his 
clothes  and  carry  a  broom,  jnst  by  way  of  exercise,  to  prevent 
his  becoming  too  lusty,  he  is  therefore  to  be  struck  like  a  hound, 
it's  a  slight  mistake,  that's  all ;  and  here,  sir,  is  his  card,  and 
fou  will  oblige  me  by  mentioning  any  friend  of  yours  with 
whom  I  may  settle  all  the  little  points  necessary  before  the 
meeting  of  two  gentlemen." 

I  could  hardly  refrain  from  laughing  at  this  Irish  gentleman 
and  his  friend,  but  I  thought  it  advisable  to  retain  my  countc- 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          223 

nance.  "  My  dear  sir,"  replied  I,  "  it  grieves  me  to  the  heart 
that  I  should  have  committed  such  an  error,  in  not  perceiving 
the  gentility  of  your  friend  ;  had  I  not  been  so  careless,  I 
certainly  should  have  requested  him  to  do  me  the  honour  to 
accept  a  shilling,  instead  of  having  offered  him  the  insult 
I  hope  it  is  not  now  too  late  ?" 

"  By  the  powers,  I'm  not  one  of  those  harum-scarum  sort, 
who  would  make  up  a  fight  when  there's  no  occasion  for  it,  and 
as  your  'haviour  is  that  of  a  gentleman,  I  think  it  will  perhaps 
be  better  to  shake  hands  upon  it,  and  forget  it  altogether. 
Suppose  now,  we'll  consider  that  it  was  all  a  mistake  ?  You 
give  the  shilling  as  you  intended  to  do,  I'll  swear  only  you  were 
in  so  great  a  hurry — and  then,  perhaps,  you'll  not  object  to 
throw  in  another  shilling  for  that  same  tap  with  the  cane,  just 
to  wipe  off  the  insult  as  it  were,  as  we  do  our  sins,  when 
we  fork  out  the  money,  and  receive  absolution  from  the  padre  ; 
and  then,  perhaps,  you  will  not  think  it  too  much  if  I  charge 
another  shilling  for  my  time  and  trouble,  for  carrying  a  message 
between  two  gentlemen." 

"  On  the  contrary,  Mr.  O'Donaghan,  I  think  all  your  de- 
mands are  reasonable.  Here  is  the  money." 

Mr.  O'Donaghan  took  the  three  shillings.  "  Then,  sir,  and 
many  thanks  to  you,  I'll  wish  you  a  good  evening,  and  Mr. 
O'Rourke  shall  know  from  me  that  you  have  absolution  for  the 
whole,  and  that  you  have  offered  every  satisfaction  which  one 
gentleman  could  expect  from  another."  So  saying  Mr.  O'Dona- 
ghan put  his  hat  on  with  a  firm  cock,  pulled  on  his  gloves, 
manoeuvred  his  stick,  and  with  a  flourishing  bow,  took  his 
departure 

I  had  hardly  dismissed  this  gentleman,  and  was  laughing  to 
myself  at  the  ridiculous  occurrence,  when  Mr.  Cophagus  returned, 
first  putting  his  cane  up  to  his  nose  with  an  arch  look,  and  then 
laying  it  down  on  the  table,  and  rubbing  his  hands.  "  Good 
—warm  old  lady.  No — dead  and  cold — but  left  some  thou 
lands — only  one  legacy — old  Tom  cat — physic  him  to-morrow 
—  -soon  die,  and  so  on.w 


224  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

On  a  more  full  explanation,  I  found  that  the  old  lady  had 
left  about  nine  thousand  pounds  in  the  funds  and  bank  securi- 
ties, all  of  which,  with  the  exception  of  twenty  pounds  per 
annum  to  a  favourite  cat,  was  left  to  Mr.  Cophagus,  I  con- 
gratulated him  upon  this  accession  of  fortune.  He  stated  that 
the  lease  of  the  house  and  the  furniture  were  still  to  be  disposed 
of,  and  that  afterwards  he  should  have  nothing  more  to  do  , 
but  he  wished  me  very  much  to  assist  him  in  rummaging  over 
the  various  cabinets  belonging  to  the  old  lady,  and  which  were 
full  of  secret  drawers  ;  that  in  one  cabinet  alone  he  had  found 
upwards  of  fifty  pounds  in  various  gold  coins,  and  that  if  not 
well  examined,  they  would  probably  be  sold  with  many  articles 
of  consequence  remaining  in  them. 

As  my  only  object  in  Ireland  was  to  find  out  Sir  Henry  de 
Clare,  and  identify  him,  (but,  really,  why  I  could  not  have  said, 
as  it  would  have  proved  nothing  after  all,)  I  willingly  con- 
sented to  devote  a  day  to  assist  Mr.  Cophagus  in  his  examina- 
tion. The  next  morning  after  breakfast,  we  went  together  to 
the  house  of  the  old  lady,  whose  name  had  been  Maitland,  as 
Mr.  Cophagus  informed  me.  Her  furniture  was  of  the  most 
ancient  description,  and  in  every  room  in  the  house  there  was 
an  ormolu,  or  Japan  cabinet ;  some  of  them  were  very  handsome, 
decorated  with  pillars,  and  silver  ornaments.  I  can  hardly 
recount  the  variety  of  articles,  which  in  all  probability  had 
been  amassed  during  the  whole  of  the  old  lady's  life,  commenc- 
ing with  her  years  of  childhood,  and  ending  with  the  day  of  her 
death.  There  were  antique  ornaments,  some  of  considerable 
value,  miniatures,  fans,  e"tuis,  notes,  of  which  the  ink,  from  time, 
had  turned  to  a  light  red,  packages  of  letters  of  her  various  cor- 
respondents in  her  days  of  hope  and  anticipation,  down  to  those 
of  solitude  and  age.  We  looked  over  some  of  them,  but  they 
appeared  to  both  of  us  to  be  sacred,  and  they  were,  after  a 
slight  examination,  committed  to  the  flames. 

After  we  had  examined  all  the  apparent  receptacles  in  these 
cabinets,  we  took  them  up  between  us,  and  shook  them,  and  in 
most  cases  found  out  that  there  were  secret  drawers  containing 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  225 

other  treasures.  There  was  one  packet  of  letters  which  caught 
my  eye  ;  it  was  from  a  Miss  de  Benyon.  I  seized  it  immediately, 
and  showed  the  inscription  to  Mr.  Cophagus.  "  Pooh — noth- 
ing at  all — her  mother  was  a  De  Benyon." 

"  Have  you  any  objection  to  my  looking  at  these  letters  ?" 

"  No — read — nothing  in  them." 

I  laid  them  on  one  side,  and  we  proceeded  in  our  search, 
when  Mr.  Cophagus  took  up  a  sealed  packet.  "  Heh  !  what's 
this — De  Benyon  again  ?  Japhet,  look  here." 

I  took  the  packet  ;  it  was  sealed  and  tied  with  red  tape- 
"  Papers  belonging  to  Lieutenant  William  de  Benyon,  to  be 
returned  to  him  at  my  decease."  "  Alice  Maitland,  with  great 
care,"  was  written  at  the  bottom  of  the  envelope. 

"This  is  it,  my  dear  sir,"  cried  I,  jumping  up  and  embracing 
Mr.  Cophagus  ;  "  these  are  the  papers  which  I  require.  May 
I  keep  them  ?" 

"  Mad — quite  mad — go  to  Bedlam — strait  waistcoat — head 
shaved — and  so  on." 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

I  AM  NOT  CONTENT  WITH  MINDING  MY  OWN  BUSINESS,  BUT  KUST 
HAVE  A  HAND  IN  THAT  OF  OTHERS,  BY  WHICH  MEANS  I  PUT  MY 
FOOT  IN  IT. 

HE  then,  after  his  own  fashion,  told  me,  that,  as  executor 
he  must  retain  those  papers  ;  pointed  out  to  me  the  little  pro- 
bability there  was  of  their  containing  any  information  relative 
to  my  birth,  even  allowing  that  a  person  of  the  name  of  De 
Benyon  did  call  at  the  Fonndlinjr  to  ask  for  me,  which  was 
only  a  supposition  ;  and,  finally,  overthrew  all  the  hopes  which 
had  been,  for  so  many  days,  buoying  me  up.  When  lie  had 
finished,  I  threw  myself  upon  the  sofa  in  despair,  and  wished, 
it  the  moment,  that  I  had  never  been  born.  Still  hope  agaiu 


226  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

rose  uppermost,  and  I  would  have  given  all  I  possessed  to  Uave 
been  able  to  break  open  the  seals  of  that  packet,  and  have 
read  the  contents.  At  one  moment  I  was  so  frantic,  that  I 
was  debating  whether  I  should  not  take  them  from  Mr.  Co 
phagus  by  force,  and  run  off  with  them.  At  last  I  rose,  and 
commenced  reading  the  letters  which  I  had  put  aside,  but  there 
was  nothing  in  them  but  the  trifling  communications  of  two 
young  women,  who  mentioned  what  was  amusing  to  them,  but 
uninteresting  to  those  who  were  not  acquainted  with  the  parties. 

When  he  had  finished,  Mr.  Cophagus  collected  all  together, 
and  putting  them  into  a  box,  we  returned  in  a  coach  to  the 
hotel.  The  next  day  Mr.  Cophagus  had  completed  all  his 
arrangements,  and  the  day  following  had  determined  to  return 
to  England.  I  walked  with  him  down  to  the  vessel,  and 
watched  it  for  an  hour  after  it  had  sailed,  for  it  bore  away  a 
packet  of  papers,  which  I  could  not  help  imagining  were  to 
discover  the  secret  which  I  was  so  eager  in  pursuit  of.  A 
night's  sleep  made  me  more  rational,  and  I  now  resolved  to 
ascertain  where  Sir  Henry  de  Clare,  or  Melchior,  as  I  felt  cer- 
tain he  must  be,  was  to  be  found.  I  sent  for  the  waiter,  and 
asked  him  if  he  could  inform  me.  He  immediately  replied  in 
the  affirmatire,  and  gave  his  address,  Mount  Castle,  Conne- 
mara,  asking  me  when  I  intended  to  set  out.  It  did  not  strike 
me  till  afterwards,  that  it  was  singular  that  he  should  be  so 
well  acquainted  with  the  address,  and  that  he  should  have  pro- 
duced a  card  with  it  written  upon  it ;  or,  moreover,  that  he 
should  know  that  it  was  my  intention  to  go  there.  I  took  the 
address,  and  desired  that  I  might  have  horses  ready  very  early 
the  next  morning.  I  then  sat  down  and  wrote  a  letter  to  Har- 
court,  informing  him  of  my  proceedings,  also  one  to  Mr.  Master- 
ton  much  more  explicit,  lastly  to  Timothy,  to  the  care  of  Har- 
court,  requesting  him  to  let  me  know  what  had  occurred  be- 
tween him  and  the  gipsies.  After  dinner,  I  packed  up  ready 
for  my  journey,  and  having  settled  my  bill,  I  was  not  sorry  to 
retire  to  my  bed. 

At  daylight  I  was,  as  I  requested,  called  by  the  waiter  ;  and 


JAPHET,    IN   SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  227 

taking  with  me  only  a  very  small  portmanteau,  having  left  the 
rest  of  my  effects  in  the  charge  of  the  people  who  kept  the 
hotel,  I  set  off  in  a  post-chaise  on  my  expedition.  I  was  soon 
clear  of  the  city,  and  on  a  fine  smooth  road,  and,  as  I  threw 
myself  back  in  the  corner  of  the  chaise,  I  could  not  help  asking 
myself  the  question — what  was  the  purport  of  my  journey? 
As  the  reader  will  perceive,  I  was  wholly  governed  by  impulses, 
and  never  allowed  reason  or  common  sense  to  stand  in  the  way 
of  my  feelings.  "  What  have  I  to  do  ?"  replied  I  to  myself ; 
"  to  find  out  if  Melchior  and  Sir  Henry  de  Clare  be  not  one  and 
the  same  person.  And  what  then  ?.  What  then  ? — why  then 
I  may  find  out  something  relative  to  Fleta's  parentage.  Nay, 
but  is  that  likely — if,  as  you  suppose,  Melchior  is  Sir  Henry  de 
Clare — if,  as  you  suppose,  it  is  he  who  is  now  trying  to  find  out 
and  carry  off  Fleta — is  it  probable  that  you  will  gain  any  infor- 
mation from  him  ?  I  have  an  idea  that  Fleta  is  the  little  girl 
said  to  have  died,  who  was  the  child  of  his  elder  brother.  Why 
so  ?  What  interest  could  Melchior  have  in  stealing  his  own 
niece?  That  I  cannot  tell.  Why  did  Natte'e  give  me  the 
necklace  ?  I  cannot  tell ;  she  would  hardly  betray  her  husband. 
At  all  events,  there  is  a  mystery,  and  it  can  only  be  unravelled 
by  being  pulled  at ;  and  I  may  learn  something  by  meeting 
Melchior,  whereas  I  shall  learn  nothing  by  remaining  quiet." 
This  last  idea  satisfied  me  ;  and  for  many  hours  I  remained  in 
a  train  of  deep  thought,  only  checked  by  paying  for  the  horses 
at  the  end  of  every  stage. 

It  was  now  past  twelve  o'clock,  when  I  found  that  it  was 
necessary  to  change  the  chaise  at  every  post.  The  country 
also,  as  well  as  the  roads,  had  change^  much  for  the  worse. 
Cultivation  was  not  so  great,  the  roads  were  mountainous,  and 
civilisation  generally  disappeared.  It  was  nearly  dark  when  I 
arrived  at  the  last  post,  from  whence  I  was  to  take  horses  to 
Mount  Castle.  As  usual,  the  chaise  was  also  to  be  changed  ; 
and  I  could  not  help  observing  that  each  change  was  from  bad 
to  worse.  Rope  harness  was  used,  and  the  vehicles  themselves 
were  of  the  most  crazy  condition.  Still  I  had  travelled  very 


228  JIPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

fairly  ;  for  an  Irish  postilion  knows  how  to  make  an  Irish  hors€ 
go  a  very  fair  pace.  I  descended  from  the  chaise,  and  ordered 
another  out  immediately.  To  this  there  was  no  reply,  except, 
"  Wait,  your  honour  ;  step  in  a  moment,  and  rest  from  your 
fatigue  a  little."  Presuming  this  was  merely  to  give  them  time 
to  get  ready,  I  walked  into  the  room  of  the  inn,  which  indeed 
was  very  little  better  than  a  hovel,  and  sat  down  by  the  turf 
fire  in  company  with  some  others  whom  I  could  hardly  distin- 
guish for  smoke.  I  paid  the  chaise  and  postilion,  and  soon 
afterwards  heard  it  drive  off,  on  its  way  back.  After  a  few 
minutes  I  inquired  if  the  chaise  was  getting  ready. 

"  Is  it  the  chaise  your  honour  means  ?"  said  the  landlady. 

"Yes,"  replied  I  ;  "  a  chaise  on  to  Mount  Castle." 

"  Then  I  am  sorry  that  your  honour  must  wait  a  little  ;  for 
our  chaise,  and  the  only  one  which  we  have,  is  gone  to  the  cas- 
tle, and  won't  be  back  till  long  after  the  moon  is  up.  What 
will  your  honour  please  to  take  ?" 

44  Not  back  till  moonlight  1"  replied  I ;  "  why  did  you  not  sav 
BO  ?  and  I  would  have  gone  on  with  the  other." 

"  Is  it  with  the  other  you  mane,  your  honour  ?  Then  if 
Teddy  Driscoll  could  make  his  horses  go  one  step  farther  than 
our  door,  may  I  never  hav<?  a  soul  to  be  saved.  Will  your 
honour  please  to  sit  in  the  little  room  ?  Kathleen  shall  light  a 
fire." 

Vexed  as  I  was  with  the  idea  of  passing  the  night  in  this 
horrid  place,  there  was  no  help  for  it  ;  so  I  took  up  my  port- 
manteau, and  followed  the  landlady  to  a  small  room,  if  it  de- 
served the  appellation,  which  had  been  built  after  the  cottage, 
and  a  door  broken  through  the  wall  into  it.  Ceiling  there  was 
none  ;  it  had  only  lean-to-rafters,  with  tiles  over  head.  I  took 
A  scat  on  the  only  stool  that  was  in  the  room,  and  leant  my 
elbow  on  the  table  in  no  very  pleasant  humour,  when  I  heard 
the  girl  say,  "  And  why  don't  you  let  him  go  on  to  the  cas- 
tle ?  Sure  the  chaise  is  in  the  yard,  and  the  horses  are  in 
the  stable." 

"  There's  orders  'gainst  it,  Kathleen,"  replied  the  landlady 


JAPHET,    IK    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  229 

"  Mr.  M'Deimott  was  here  this  blessed  day,  and  who  can  deny 
him  ?" 

"  Who  is  he  then  ?"  replied  the  girl. 

"  An  attorney  with  a  warrant  against  Sir  Henry  ;  and,  more- 
over, they  say  that  he's  coming  to  'strain  upon  the  cattle 
of  Jerry  O'Toole  for  the  tithes." 

"  He's  a  bould  young  chap,  at  all  events,"  replied  the  girl, 
"  to  come  here  all  by  himself." 

"  Oh  !  but  it's  not  till  to-morrow  morning,  and  then  we'll 
have  the  troops  here  to  assist  him." 

"  And  does  Jerry  O'Toole  know  of  this  ?" 

"  Sure  enough  he  does  ;  and  I  hope  there'll  be  no  murder 
committed  in  my  house  this  blessed  night.  But  what  can  a 
poor  widow  do  when  M'Dermott  holds  up  his  finger  ?  Now,  go 
light  the  fire,  Kathleen,  and  see  if  the  poor  young  man  wants 
any  thing  ;  it's  a  burning  pity  that  he  shouldn't  have  something 
to  comfort  him  before  his  misfortunes  fall  upon  him." 

Kathleen  made  no  reply.  The  horror  that  I  felt  at  this  dis- 
course  may  easily  be  imagined.  That  it  was  intended  that  I 
should  meet  with  foul  play  was  certain,  and  I  knew  very  well 
that,  in  such  a  desolate  part  of  the  country,  the  murder  of  an 
individual,  totally  unknown,  would  hardly  be  noticed.  That  I 
had  been  held  up  to  the  resentment  of  the  inhabitants  as  a 
tithe  collector,  and  an  attorney  with  a  warrant,  was  quite  suffi- 
cient, I  felt  conscious,  to  induce  them  to  make  away  with  me. 
How  to  undeceive  them  was  the  difficulty. 


CHAPTER   XLIV. 

VO  HOPES   OF   RISING  NEXT   MORNING    ALIVE A3  A  LAST  CHANCE,  I 

GET  INTO  BED. 

KATHLEEN  came  in  with  fuel  to  light  the  fire,  and  looking  rather 
bard  at  me,  passed  by,  and  was  soon  busy  blowing  up  tho  turf. 


230  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

She  was  a  very  handsome  dark-eyed  girl,  about  nineteen  yean 
of  age,  stout,  and  well  made.  "  What  is  your  name  ?'?  said  I. 

"  Kathleen,  at  your  service,  sir." 

"  Listen  to  me  Kathleen,"  said  I,  in  a  low  voice.  "  Yon  are 
a  woman,  and  all  women  are  kind-hearted.  I  have  overheard 
all  that  passed  between  your  mistress  and  you,  and  thatM'Der- 
mott  has  stated  that  I  am  a  tithe  collector  and  an  attorney, 
with  a  warrant.  I  am  no  such  thing.  I  am  a  gentleman  who 
wish  to  speak  to  Sir  Henry  de  Clare  on  a  business  which  he 
does  not  like  to  be  spoken  to  about ;  and  to  show  you  what  I 
say  is  the  truth,  it  is  about  the  daughter  of  his  elder  brother, 
who  was  killed  when  hunting,  and  who  is  supposed  to  be  dead. 
I  am  the  only  evidence  to  the  contrary  ;  and,  therefore,  he 
and  M'Dermott  have  spread  this  report  that  I  may  come  to 
harm." 

"  Is  she  alive,  then  ?"  replied  Kathleen,  looking  up  to  me 
with  wonder. 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  will  not  tell  Sir  Henry  where  she  is,  and  that 
is  the  reason  of  their  enmity." 

"  But  I  saw  her  body,"  replied  the  girl,  in  a  low  voice,  stand- 
ing up,  and  coming  close  to  me. 

"  It  was  not  hers,  depend  upon  it,"  replied  I,  hardly  knowing 
what  to  answer  to  this  assertion. 

"  At  all  events,  it  was  dressed  in  her  clothes  ;  but  it  was  so 
long  before  it  was  discovered,  that  we  could  make  nothing  of 
the  features.  Well,  I  knew  the  poor  little  thing,  for  my  mother 
nursed  her.  I  was  myself  brought  up  at  the  castle,  and  lived 
there  till  after  Sir  William  was  killed  ;  then  we  were  all  sent 
away." 

"  Kathleen  !  Kathleen  !"  cried  the  landlady 

41  Call  for  every  thing  you  can  think  of,  one  after  another," 
whispered  Kathleen,  leaving  the  room. 

44 1  cannot  make  the  peat  burn,"  said  she  to  the  landlady, 
after  she  had  quitted  the  little  room  ;  and  the  gentleman  wants 
florae  whisky." 

44  Go  out  then,  and  get  some  from  the  middle  of  the  stack, 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  4.  FATHER,  231 

Kathleen,  and  be  quick  ;  we  have  others  to  attend  to  besides 
the  tithe  proctor.  There's  the  O'Tooles  all  come  in,  aud  your 
own  Corny  is  with  them." 

"  My  Corny,  indeed  1"  replied  Kathleen  ;  "  he's  not  quite  so 
sure  of  that." 

In  a  short  time  Kathleen  returned,  and  brought  some  dry 
peat  aud  a  measure  of  whisky.  "  If  what  you  say  is  true,"  said 
Kathleen,  "  and  sure  enough  you're  no  Irish,  and  very  young 
for  a  tithe  proctor,  who  must  grow  old  before  he  can  be  such  a 
villain,  you  are  in  no  very  pleasant  way.  The  O'Tooles  are 
here,  and  I've  an  idea  they  mean  no  good  ;  for  they  sit  with  all 
their  heads  together,  whispering  to  each  other,  and  all  their 
shillelaghs  by  their  sides." 

"  Tell  me,  Kathleen,  was  the  daughter  of  Sir  William  a  fair- 
haired,  blue-eyed  girl  ?" 

"  To  be  sure  she  was,"  replied  Kathleen,  "  and  like  a  little 
mountain  fairy." 

"  Now,  Kathleen,  tell  me  if  you  recollect  if  the  little  girl  or 
her  mother  ever  wore  a  necklace  of  red  beads  mixed  with 
gold  ?" 

"  Yes,  that  my  lady  did  ;  and  it  was  on  the  child's  neck  when 
it  was  lost,  and  when  the  body  was  found  it  was  not  with  it. 
Well  I  recollect  that,  for  my  mother  said  the  child  must  have 
been  drowned  or  murdered  for  the  sake  of  the  gold  beads." 

"  Then  you  have  proved  all  I  wished,  Kathleen  ;  and  now  I 
tell  you  that  this  little  girl  is  alive,  and  that  I  can  produce  the 
necklace  which  was  lost  with  her  ;  and  more,  that  she  was 
taken  away  by  Sir  Henry  himself." 

"  Merciful  Jesus  !"  replied  Kathleen  ;  "  the  dear  little  child 
that  we  cried  over  so  much." 

"  Bat  now,  Kathleen,  I  have  told  you  this,  to  prove  to  you 
that  I  am  not  what  M'Dermott  has  asserted,  no  doubt,  with 
the  intention  that  my  brains  shall  be  knocked  out  this  night." 

"  And  so  they  will,  sure  enough,"  replied  Kathleen,  "  if  you 
do  not  escape." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  escape  ?  and  will  you  assist  me ?"    And  J 


232  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

laid  down  on  the  table  ten  guineas  from  my  purse.  "Take 
that,  Kathleen,  and  it  will  help  you  and  Corny.  Now  will  you 
assist  me  ?" 

"  It's  Corny  that  will  be  the  first  to  knock  your  brains  out," 
replied  Kathleen,  "  unless  I  can  stop  him.  I  must  go  now,  and 
I'll  see  what  can  be  done." 

Kathleen  would  have  departed  without  touching  the  gold  ; 
but  I  caught  her  by  the  wrist,  collected  it,  and  put  it  into  her 
hand.  "That's  not  like  a  tithe  proctor  at  all  events,"  replied 
Kathleen  ;  "  but  my  heart  aches,  and  my  head  swims,  and 
what's  to  be  done  I  know  not."  So  saying,  Kathleen  quitted 
the  room. 

"  Well,"  thought  I,  after  she  had  left  the  room,  "  at  all 
events,  I  have  not  been  on  a  wrong  scent  this  time.  Kathleen 
has  proved  to  me  that  Fleta  is  the  daughter  of  the  late  Sir 
William  ;  and  if  I  escape  this  snare,  Melchior  shall  do  her  jus- 
tice." Pleased  with  my  having  so  identified  Melchior  and 
Fleta,  I  fell  into  a  train  of  thought,  and  for  the  first  time 
forgot  my  perilous  situation  ;  but  I  was  roused  from  my  medi- 
tations by  an  exclamation  from  Kathleen.  "  No,  no,  Corny, 
nor  any  of  ye — not  now — and  mother  and  me  to  witness  it — it 
shall  not  be.  Corny,  hear  me,  as  sure  as  blood's  drawn,  and 
we  up  to  see  it,  so  sure  does  Corny  O'Toole  never  touch  this 
hand  of  mine."  A  pause,  and  whispering  followed,  and  again 
all  appeared  to  be  quiet.  I  unstrapped  my  portmanteau,  took 
out  my  pistols,  which  were  loaded,  re-primed  them,  and 
remained  quiet,  determined  to  sell  my  life  as  dearly  as  possible. 

It  was  more  than  half  an  hour  before  Kathleen  returned  ; 
she  looked  pale  and  agitated.  "  Keep  quiet,  and  do  not  think 
of  resistance,"  said  she  ;  "it  is  useless.  I  have  told  my  mother 
all,  and  she  believes  yon,  and  will  risk  her  life  to  save  him  who 
nas  watched  over  the  little  girl  whom  she  nursed  ;  but  keep 
quiet,  we  shall  soon  have  them  all  out  of  the  house.  Corny 
dare  not  disobey  me,  and  he  will  persuade  the  others." 

She  then  went  out  again,  and  did  not  return  for  nearly  an 
hour,  when  she  was  accompanied  by  her  mother.  "  Kathleen 


JAFHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  233 

has  told  me  all,  young  sir,"  said  she,  "  and  do  what  we  can  we 
will  ;  but  we  hardly  know  what  to  do  To  go  to  the  castle 
would  be  madness." 

"  Yes,"  replied  I ;  "but  cannot  you  give  me  one  of  your  horsea 
to  return  the  way  I  came  ?" 

"  That  was  our  intention  ;  but  I  find  that  the  O'Tooles  have 
taken  them  all  out  of  the  stable  to  prevent  me  ;  and  the  house 
Is  watched.  They  will  come  at  midnight  and  attack  us,  that  I 
fully  expect,  and  how  to  conceal  you  puzzles  my  poor  head." 

"If  they  come,  we  can  but  persuade  them  that  he  has 
escaped,"  replied  Kathleen  ;  "  they  will  no  longer  watch  the 
house,  and  he  will  then  have  some  chance." 

"There  is  but  one  chance,"  replied  the  mother,  who  took 
Kathleen  aside,  and  whispered  to  her.  Kathleen  coloured  to 
the  forehead,  and  made  no  reply.  "  If  your  mother  bids  you, 
Kathleen,  there  can  be  no  harm." 

"  Yes  ;  but  if  Corny  was " 

"  He  dare  not,"  replied  the  mother  ;  "  and  now  put  this  light 
out,  and  do  you  get  into  bed,  sir,  with  your  clothes  on." 
They  led  me  to  a  small  bedroom,  a  miserable  affair,  but  in  that 
part  of  the  country  considered  respectable.  "  Lie  down  there," 
said  the  mother,  "  and  wait  till  we  call  you."  They  took  the 
light  away,  and  left  me  to  myself  and  my  own  reflections,  which 
were  anything  but  pleasant.  I  lay  awake,  it  might  be  for  two 
hours,  when  I  heard  the  sound  of  feet,  and  then  a  whispering 
under  the  window,  and  shortly  afterwards  a  loud  knocking  at 
the  door,  which  they  were  attempting  to  burst  open.  Every 
moment  I  expected  that  it  would  yield  to  the  violence  which 
was  made  use  of,  when  the  mother  came  down  half  dressed, 
with  a  light  in  her  hand,  hastened  to  me,  and  desired  me  to 
follow  her.  I  did  so,  and  before  she  left  my  room,  she  threw 
the  window  wide  open.  She  led  me  up  a  sort  of  half-stairs, 
half-ladder,  to  a  small  room,  where  I  found  Kathleen  sitting  up 
in  her  bed,  and  half-dressed.  "  Oh  mother  1  mother  I"  cried 
Kathleen. 

"  I  bid  ye  do  it,  child,"  replied  the  mother,  desiring  me  to 


234  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

creep  into  her  daughter's  bed,  and  cover  myself  up  on  the  side 
next  the  wall. 

"  Let  me  put  on  more  clothes  mother." 

"No,  no;  if  you  do  they  will  suspect,  and  will  not  hesitate 
to  search.  Your  mother  bids  you." 

The  poor  girl  was  burning  with  shame  and  confusion. 

"  Nay,"  replied  I,  "  if  Kathleen  does  not  wish  it,  I  will  not 
buy  my  safety  at  the  expense  of  her  feelings." 

"Yes,  yes,"  replied  Kathleen,  "I  don't  mind  now;  those 
words  of  yours  are  sufficient.  Come  in,  quick." 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

PETTICOAT  INTEREST  PREVAILS,  AND  I  ESCAPE;    BUT    I    PUT   MY   HEAD 
INTO  THE  LION'S  DEN. 

THERE  was  no  time  for  apology,  and  stepping  over  Kathleen,  I 
buried  myself  under  the  clothes  by  her  side.  The  mother  then 
hastened  down  stairs,  and  arrived  at  the  door  just  as  they  had 
succeeded  in  forcing  it  open,  when  in  pounced  a  dozen  men, 
armed,  with  their  faces  blackened.  "  Holy  Jesus  !  what  is  it 
that  you  want  ?"  screamed  the  landlady. 

"  The  blood  of  the  tithe  proctor,  and  that's  what  we'll  have," 
replied  the  O'Tooles. 

"  Not  in  my  house — not  in  my  house  !"  cried  she.  "  Take 
him  away,  at  all  events;  promise  me  to  take  him  away." 

"  So  we  will,  honey  darlint;  we'll  take  him  out  of  your  sight, 
and  out  of  your  hearing,  too,  only  show  us  where  he  may  be." 

"He's  sleeping,"  replied  the  mother,  pointing  to  the  door 
of  the  bedroom  where  I  had  been  lying  down. 

The  party  took  the  light  from  her  hand,  and  went  into  the 
room,  where  they  perceived  the  bed  empty  and  the  window 
open.  "  Devil  a  bit  of  a  proctor  here  any  how,"  cried  one  of 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  235 

them,  "  and  the  window  open.     He's  off — hurrah  1  my  lads,  lie- 
can' t  be  far." 

"  By  the  powers !  it's  just  my  opinion,  Mrs.  M'Shane,"  re- 
plied the  elder  O'Toole,  "  that  he's  not  quite  so  far  off;  so  with 
your  lave,  or  by  your  lave,  or  without  your  lave,  we'll  just  have 
a  look  over  the  premises." 

"  0  !  and  welcome,  Mr.  Jerry  O'Toole  :  if  you  think  I'm 
the  woman  to  hide  a  proctor,  look  everywhere  just  as  you 
please." 

The  party,  headed  by  Jerry  O'Toole,  who  had  taken  the 
light  out  of  Mrs.  M'Shane's  hand,  now  ascended  the  ladder  to 
the  upper  story,  and  as  I  lay  by  Kathleen,  I  felt  that  she 
trembled  with  fear.  After  examining  every  nook  and  cranny 
they  could  think  of,  they  came  to  Mrs.  M'Shane's  room — "  0  ! 
go  in — go  in  and  look,  Mr.  O'Toole;  it's  a  very  likely  thing  to 
insinuate  that  I  should  have  a  tithe  proctor  in  my  bed.  Search, 
pray,"  and  Mrs.  M'Shane  led  the  way  into  her  room. 

Every  part  had  been  examined  except  the  small  sleeping 
room  of  Kathleen;  and  the  party  paused  before  the  door. 
"  We  must  search,"  observed  O'Toole,  doggedly. 

"  Search  my  daughter's  !  very  well,  search  if  you  please;  it's 
a  fine  story  you'll  have  to  tell,  how  six  great  men  pulled  a  poor 
girl  out  of  her  bed  to  look  for  a  tithe  proctor.  It  will  be  a 
credit  to  you  any  how;  and  you,  Corny  O'Toole,  you'll  stand 
well  in  her  good  graces,  when  you  come  to  talk  about  the  wed- 
ding-day; and  your  wife  that  is  to  be,  pulled  out  of  her  bed  by 
a  dozen  men.  What  will  ye  say  to  Kathleen,  when  you  affront 
her  by  supposing  that  a  maiden  girl  has  a  tithe  proctor  in  bed 
with  her  ?  D'ye  think  that  ye'll  ever  have  the  mother's  con- 
sent or  blessing  ?" 

"  No  one  goes  into  Kathleen's  room,"  cried  Corny  O'Toole 
roused  by  the  sarcasms  of  Mrs.  M'Shane. 

"  Yes,  Corny,"  replied  Mrs.  M'Shane,  "  it's  not  for  a  woman 
like  me  to  be  suspected,  at  all  events;  so  you,  and  you  only, 
shall  go  into  the  room,  if  that  will  content  ye,  Mr.  Jerrj 
O'Toole." 


236  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Yes  1"  replied  the  party,  and  Mrs.  M'Shane  opened  the 
door. 

Kathleen  rose  up  on  her  elbow,  holding  the  bed  clothes  up 
to  her  throat,  and  looking  at  them,  as  they  entered,  said,  "  0 
Corny  I  Corny  1  this  to  me  ?" 

Corny  never  thought  of  looking  for  any  body,  his  eyes  were 
riveted  upon  his  sweetheart,  "Murder,  Kathleen,  is  it  my 
fault  ?  Jerry  will  have  it." 

"  Are  you  satisfied,  Corny  ?"  said  Mrs.  M'Shane. 

"  Sure  enough  I  was  satisfied  before  I  came  in,  that  Kath- 
leen would  not  have  any  one  in  her  bed-room,"  replied  Corny. 

"  Then  good  night,  Corny,  and  it's  to-morrow  that  I'll  talk 
with  ye,"  replied  Kathleen. 

Mrs.  M'Shane  then  walked  out  of  the  room,  expecting  Corny 
to  follow  ;  but  he  could  not  restrain  himself,  and  he  came  to 
the  bed-side.  Fearful  that  if  he  put  his  arms  round  her,  he 
would  feel  me,  Kathleen  raised  herself,  and  allowed  him  to 
embrace  her.  Fortunately  the  light  was  not  in  the  room, 
or  I  should  have  been  discovered,  as  in  so  doing  she  threw 
the  clothes  off  my  head  and  shoulders.  She  then  pushed  back 
Corny  from  her,  and  he  left  the  room,  shutting  the  door  after 
him.  The  party  descended  the  ladder,  and  as  soon  as  Kath- 
leen perceived  that  they  were  all  down,  she  sprang  out  of  bed 
and  ran  into  her  mother's  room.  Soon  after  I  heard  them  de- 
part. Mrs.  M'Shane  made  fast  the  door,  and  came  up  stairs. 
She  first  went  to  her  own  room,  where  poor  Kathleen  was  cry- 
ing bitterly  from  shame  and  excitement.  I  had  got  up  when 
she  came  into  Kathleen's  room  for  her  clothes,  and,  in  about 
five  minutes,  they  returned  together.  I  was  sitting  on  the  side 
of  the  bed  when  they  came  in  :  the  poor  girl  coloured  up  when 
our  eyes  met.  "  Kathleen,"  said  I,  "  you  have,  in  all  proba- 
bility, saved  my  life,  and  I  cannot  express  my  thanks.  I  ana 
only  sorry  that  your  modesty  has  been  put  to  so  severe  a 
trial." 

"  If  Corny  was  to  find  it  out,"  replied  Kathleen,  sobbing 
again.  "  How  could  I  do  such  a  thing  ?" 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER.  237 

"  Your  mother  bid  you,"  replied  Mrs.  M'Shane,  "  and  that  is 
sufficient." 

"But  what  must  you  think  of  me,  sir?"  continued  Kath- 
leen." 

"  I  think  that  you  have  behaved  most  nobly.  You  have 
saved  an  innocent  man  at  the  risk  of  your  reputation,  and  the 
loss  of  your  lover.  It  is  not  now  that  I  can  prove  my  grati- 
tude." 

"  Yes,  yes,  promise  me  by  all  that's  sacred,  that  you'll  never 
mention  it.  Surely  you  would  not  ruin  one  who  has  tried  to 
serve  you." 

"  I  promise  you  that,  and  I  hope  to  perform  a  great  deal 
more."  replied  I.  "  But  now,  Mrs.  M'Shane,  what  is  to  be 
done  ?  Remain  here  I  cannot." 

"  No,  you  must  leave,  and  that  very  soon.  Wait  about  ten 
minutes  more  and  then  they  will  give  up  their  search  and  go 

home.  The  road  to  E "  (the  post  I  had  lately  come  from) 

"  is  the  best  you  can  take  ;  and  you  must  travel  as  fast  as  you 
can,  for  there  is  no  safety  for  you  here." 

"  I  am  convinced  that  rascal  M'Dermott  will  not  leave  me  till 
he  has  rid  himself  of  me."  I  then  took  out  my  purse,  in  which 
I  still  had  nearly  twenty  guineas.  I  took  ten  of  them.  "  Mrs. 
M'Shane,  I  must  leave  you  in  charge  of  my  portmanteau, 
which  you  may  forward  by-and-by,  when  you  hear  of  my  safety. 
Jf  I  should  not  be  so  fortunate,  the  money  is  better  in  your 
hands  than  in  the  hands  of  those  who  will  murder  me.  Kath- 
leen, God  bless  yon  !  you  are  a  good  girl,  and  Corny  O'Toole 
will  be  a  happy  man  if  he  knows  your  value." 

I  then  wished  Kathleen  good-by,  and  she  allowed  me  to  kiss 
ner  without  any  resistance  :  but  the  tears  were  coursing  down 
her  cheeks  as  I  left  the  room  with  her  mother.  Mrs.  M'Shano 
looked  carefully  out  of  the  windows,  holding  the  light  to  ascer- 
tain if  there  was  any  body  near,  and  satisfied  with  her  scrutiny, 
she  then  opened  the  door,  and  calling  down  the  saints  to  pro- 
tect me,  shook  hands  with  me,  and  I  quitted  the  house.  It  was 
a  dark  cloudy  night,  and  when  I  first  went  out,  I  was  obliged  to 


238  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

grope,  for  I  could  distinguish  nothing.  I  walked  along  with  a 
pistol  loaded  in  each  hand,  and  gained,  as  I  thought,  the  high 

road  to  E ,  but  I  made  a  sad  mistake  ;  and  puzzled  by  the 

utter  darkness  and  turnings,  I  took,  on  the  contrary,  the  road 
to  Mount  Castle.  As  soon  as  I  was  clear  of  the  houses  and  the 
enclosure,  there  was  more  light,  and  I  could  distinguish  the  road. 
1  had  proceeded  about  four  or  five  miles,  when  I  heard  the 
§ound  of  horses'  hoofs,  and  shortly  afterwards  two  men  rode  by 

me.     I  inquired   if  that   was   the   way  to  E .     A  pause 

ensued,  and  a  whisper.  "  All's  right !"  replied  a  deep  voice. 
I  continued  my  way,  glad  to  find  that  I  had  not  mistaken  it, 
and  cogitating  as  to  what  must  be  the  purpose  of  two  men 
being  out  at  such  an  hour.  About  ten  minutes  afterwards,  I 
thought  I  again  heard  the  sound  of  horses'  feet,  and  it  then 
occurred  to  me  that  they  must  be  highwaymen,  who  had  re- 
turned to  rob  me.  I  cocked  my  pistols,  determined  to  sell  my 
life  as  dearly  as  I  could,  and  awaited  their  coming  up  with 
anxiety  ;  but  they  appeared  to  keep  at  the  same  distance,  as 
the  sound  did  not  increase.  After  half  an  hour  I  came  to  two 
roads,  and  was  undecided  which  to  take.  I  stopped  and  listened 
— the  steps  of  the  horses  were  no  longer  to  be  heard.  I  looked 
round  me  to  ascertain  if  I  could  recognise  any  object  so  as  to 
decide  me,  but  I  could  not.  I  took  the  road  to  the  left,  and 
proceeded,  until  I  arrived  at  a  brook  which  crossed  the  road. 
There  was  no  bridge,  and  it  was  too  dark  to  perceive  the  step- 
ping stones.  I  had  just  waded  about  half  way  across,  when  I 
received  a  blow  on  the  head  from  behind,  which  staggered  me. 
1  turned  round,  but  before  I  could  see  my  assailant,  a  second 
blow  laid  me  senseless  in  the  water. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER,  239 


CHAPTER  XL VI. 

CXNKR   GROUND,    BUT    NOT   YET    DEAD    AND    BURIED THE    PROSPECt 

ANY  THING    BUT    PLEASANT. 

WHEN  my  recollection  returned  I  found  myself  in  the  dark,  but 
where,  I  knew  not.  My  head  ached,  and  my  brain  reeled.  I 
Bat  up  for  a  moment  to  collect  my  senses,  but  the  effort  was  too 
painful — I  fell  back,  and  remained  in  a  state  of  half-stupor. 
Gradually  I  recovered,  and  again  sat  up.  I  perceived  that  I 
had  been  lying  on  a  bed  of  straw,  composed  of  two  or  three 
trusses  apparently.  I  felt  with  my  extended  arms  on  each  side 
of  me,  but  touched  nothing.  I  opened  my  eyes,  which  I  had 
closed  again,  and  tried  to  pierce  through  the  obscurity,  but  in 
vain — all  was  dark  as  Erebus.  1  then  rose  on  my  feet,  and 
extending  my  hands  before  me,  walked  five  or  six  steps  on  one 
side,  till  I  was  clear  of  the  straw,  and  came  to  a  wall.  I  fol- 
lowed the  wall  about  twenty  feet,  and  then  touched  wood  ; 
groping  about,  I  found  it  was  a  door.  1  then  made  the  circuit 
of  the  walls,  and  discovered  that  the  other  side  was  built  with 
bins  for  wine,  which  were  empty,  and  I  then  found  myself  again 
at  the  straw  upon  which  I  had  been  laid.  It  was  in  a  cellar  no 
longer  used — but  where  ?  Again  I  lay  down  upon  the  straw, 
and,  as  it  may  be  imagined,  my  reflections  were  any  thing  but 
pleasing.  "  Was  I  in  the  power  of  M'Dermott  or  Melchior  ?" 
1  felt  convinced  that  I  was ;  but  my  head  was  too  painful  for 
long  thought,  and  after  half  an  hour's  reflection,  I  gave  way  to 
a  sullen  state  of  half-dreaming,  half-stupor,  in  which  the  forms 
of  M'Dermott,  Kathleen,  Melchior,  and  Fleta,  passed  in  succes- 
sion before  me.  How  long  I  remained  in  this  second  species  of 
trance  I  cannot  say,  but  I  was  roused  by  the  light  of  a  candle, 
which  flashed  in  my  eyes.  I  started  up,  and  beheld  Melchior 
in  his  gipsy's  dress,  just  as  when  I  had  taken  leave  of  him. 

"  It  is  to  you,  then,  that  I  am  indebted  for  this  treatment  ?" 
naked  I. 


240  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER. 

"  No,  not  to  me,"  replied  Melchior.  "  I  do  not  command 
here  ;  but  I  knew  you  when  they  brought  you  in  insensible,  and 
being  employed  in  the  castle,  I  have  taken  upon  myself  the 
office  of  your  gaoler,  that  I  might,  if  possible,  serve  you." 

I  felt,  I  knew  this  to  be  false,  but  a  moment's  reflection  told 
me  that  it  was  better  at  present  to  temporise. 

"  Who  then  does  the  castle  belong  to,  Melchior  ?" 

"  To  Sir  Henry  de  Clare." 

"  And  what  can  be  his  object  in  treating  me  thus  ?" 

"  That  I  can  tell  you,  because  I  am  a  party  concerned.  You 
remember  the  little  girl,  Flcta,  who  left  the  gipsy  camp  with 
you — she  is  now  somewhere  under  your  care  ?" 

"  Well,  I  grant  it ;  but  I  was  answerable  only  to  you  about 
her." 

"  Very  true,  but  I  was  answerable  to  Sir  Henry ;  and  when 
I  could  only  say  that  she  was  well,  he  was  not  satisfied,  for 
family  reasons  now  make  him  very  anxious  that  she  should 
return  to  him  ;  and,  indeed,  it  will  be  for  her  advantage,  as 
she  will  in  all  probability  be  his  heir,  for  he  has  satisfactorily 
proved  that  she  is  a  near  relative." 

"  Grant  all  that,  Melchior  ;  but  why  did  not  Sir  Henry  dt 
Clare  write  to  me  on  the  subject,  and  state  his  wishes,  and  hie 
right  to  demand  his  relative  ?  and  why  does  he  treat  me  in  this 
way  ?  Another  question — how  is  it  that  he  has  recognised  me 
to  be  the  party  who  has  charge  of  the  little  girl  ?  Answer  me 
those  questions,  Melchior,  and  then  I  may  talk  over  the 
matter." 

"  I  will  answer  the  last  question  first.  He  knew  your  name 
from  me,  and  it  so  happened,  that  a  friend  of  his  met  you  in 
the  coach  as  you  were  coming  to  Ireland :  the  same  person 
also  saw  you  at  the  postrhouse,  and  gave  information.  Sir 
Henry,  who  is  a  violent  man,  and  here  has  almost  regal  sway, 
determined  to  detain  you  till  you  surrendered  up  the  child. 
You  recollect,  that  you  refused  to  tell  his  agent,  the  person 
whose  address  I  gave  you,  where  she  was  to  be  found,  and, 
vexed  at  this,  he  has  taken  the  law  into  his  own  hands  " 


JAPHET,  IN  SEAKCH  OF  A  FATHER.  241 

'•  For  which  he  shall  smart,  one  of  these  days,"  replied  I, 
1  if  there  is  law  in  this  country." 

"  There  is  a  law  in  England,  but  very  little,  and  none  that 
•will  harm  Sir  Henry  in  this  part  of  the  country.  No  officer 
ft-ould  venture  within  five  miles  of  the  castle,  I  can  assure  you  ; 
for  he  knows  very  well  that  it  would  cost  him  his  life  ;  and  Sir 
Henry  never  quits  it  from  one  year's  end  to  the  other.  You  are 
in  his  power,  and  all  that  he  requires  is  information  where  the 
child  may  be  found,  and  an  order  for  her  being  delivered  to 
him.  You  cannot  object  to  this,  as  he  is  her  nearest  relative. 
If  you  comply,  I  do  not  doubt  but  Sir  Henry  will  make  you  full 
amends  for  this  harsh  treatment,  and  prove  a  sincere  friend 
ever  afterwards." 

"  It  requires  consideration,"  replied  I ;  "  at  present  I  am  too 
much  hurt  to  talk." 

"  I  was  afraid  so,"  replied  Melchior  ;  "  that  was  one  reason 
why  I  obtained  leave  to  speak  to  you.  Wait  a  moment." 

Melchior  then  put  the  candle  down  on  the  ground,  went  out, 
and  turned  the  key.  I  found,  on  looking  round,  that  I  was 
right  in  my  conjectures.  I  was  in  a  cellar,  which,  apparently, 
had  long  been  in  disuse.  Melchior  soon  returned,  followed  by 
an  old  crone,  who  carried  a  basket  and  a  can  of  water.  She 
washed  the  blood  off  my  head,  put  some  salve  upon  the  wounds, 
and  bound  them  up.  She  then  went  away,  leaving  the  basket. 

"  There  is  something  to  eat  and  drink  in  that  basket,"  ob- 
served Melchior ;  "  but  I  think,  Japhet,  you  will  agree  with  me, 
that  it  will  be  better  to  yield  to  the  wishes  of  Sir  Henry,  and 
not  remain  in  this  horrid  hole." 

"Very  true,  Melchior,"  replied  I ;  "  but  allow  me  to  ask  you 
a  question  or  two.  How  came  you  here  ?  where  is  Natte"e,  and 
liow  is  it,  that,  after  leaving  the  camp,  I  find  you  so  reduced  in 
circumstances,  as  to  be  serving  such  a  man  as  Sir  Henry  de 
Clare  ?'• 

"  A  few  words  will  explain  that,"  replied  he.  "  In  my  early 
days  I  was  wild  and  I  am,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  in  the  power 
of  this  man  ;  nay,  I  will  tell  you  honestly,  my  life  is  in  \uu 

11 


242  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

power :  he  ordered  me  to  come,  and  I  dare  not  disobey  him— 
and  he  retains  me  here." 

"  And  Nattee  ?" 

"  Is  quite  well,  and  with  me,  but  not  very  happy  in  her  pre- 
sent situation  ;  but  he  is  a  dangerous,  violent,  implacable  man, 
and  I  dare  not  disobey  him.  I  advise  you,  as  a  friend,  to  con- 
sent to  his  wishes." 

"  That  requires  some  deliberation,"  replied  I,  "  and  I  am  not 
one  of  those  who  are  to  be  driven.  My  feelings  towards 
Sir  Henry,  after  this  treatment,  are  not  the  most  amicable  ; 
besides,  how  am  I  to  know  that  Fleta  is  his  relative  ?" 

"  Well,  I  can  say  no  more,  Japhet.  I  wish  you  well  out  of 
his  hands." 

"You  have  the  power  to  help  me,  if  that  is  the  case," 
said  I. 

"  I  dare  not." 

"Then,  you  are  not  the  Melchior  that  you  used  to  be," 
replied  I. 

"  We  must  submit  to  fate.  I  must  not  stay  longer;  you  will 
find  all  that  you  want  in  the  basket,  and  more  candles,  if  you 
do  not  like  being  in  the  dark.  I  do  not  think  I  shall  be  per- 
mitted to  come  again,  till  to-morrow." 

Melchior  then  went  out,  locked  the  door  after  him,  and  I 
was  left  to  my  meditations. 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 

A  FRIEND  IN  NEED  IS  A  FRIEND  INDEED THE  TABLES  ARE  TURNED, 

AND  80  IS  THE  KEY THE  ISSUE  IS  DEEP  TRAGEDY. 

WAS  it  possible  that  which  Melchior  said  was  true  ?  A  little 
reflection  told  me  that  it  was  all  false,  and  that  he  was  himself 
Sir  Henry  de  Clare.  I  was  in  his  power,  and  what  might  be 
the  result  ?  He  might  detain  me,  but  he  dare  not  murder  mo 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          243 

Dare  not !  My  heart  sank  when  I  considered  where  I  was, 
and  how  easy  would  it  be  for  him  to  despatch  me,  if  so  inclined, 
without  any  one  ever  being  aware  of  my  fate.  I  lighted  a  whole 
candle,  that  I  might  not  find  myself  in  the  dark  when  I  rose, 
and,  exhausted  hi  body  and  mind,  was  soon  fast  asleep.  I 
must  have  slept  many  hours,  for  when  I  awoke  I  was  in  dark- 
ness— the  candle  had  burnt  out.  I  groped  for  the  basket,  and 
examined  the  contents  with  my  hands,  and  found  a  tinder-box. 
I  struck  a  light,  and  then  feeling  hungry  and  weak,  refreshed 
myself  with  the  eatables  it  contained,  which  were  excellent,  as 
well  as  the  wine.  I  had  replaced  the  remainder,  when  the  key 
again  turned  in  the  door,  and  Melchior  made  his  appearance. 

"  How  do  you  feel,  Japhet,  to-day  ?" 

"  To-day  !"  replied  I ;  "  day  and  night  are  the  same  to  me." 

"That  is  your  own  fault,"  replied  he.  "Have  you  considered 
what  I  proposed  to  you  yesterday  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  I ;  "  and  I  will  agree  to  this.  Let  Sir  Henry 
give  me  my  liberty,  come  over  to  England,  prove  his  rela- 
tionship to  Fleta,  and  I  will  give  her  up.  What  can  he  ask 
for  more  ?" 

"  He  will  hardly  consent  to  that,"  replied  Melchior ;  "  for, 
once  in  England,  you  will  take  a  warrant  out  against  him." 

"  No  ;  on  my  honour,  I  will  not,  Melchior." 

"  He  wffl  not  trust  to  that." 

"  Then,  he  must  judge  of  others  by  himself,"  replied  I. 

"  Have  you  no  other  terms  to  propose  ?"  replied  Melchior. 

"  None/' 

"  Then,  I  will  carry  your  message,  and  give  you  his  answer 
to-morrow." 

Melchior  then  brought  in  another  basket,  and  took  away  the 
former,  and  did  not  make  his  appearance  till  the  next  day.  I 
now  had  recovered  my  strength,  and  determined  to  take  some 
decided  measures,  but  how  to  act  I  knew  not.  I  reflected  all 
night,  and  the  next  morning  (that  is,  according  to  my  supposi- 
tion) I  attacked  the  basket.  Whether  it  was  that  ennui  or 
weakness  occasioned  it,  I  cannot  tell,  bat  either  way,  1  drank 


244  JAPHET,  IV  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

too  much  wine,  and  was  ready  for  any  daring  deed,  when  Mel- 
chior  again  opened  the  door. 

"  Sir  Henry  will  not  accept  of  your  terms.  I  thought  not," 
said  Melchior  :  "  I  am  sorry — very  sorry." 

"  M«lchior,"  replied  I,  starting  up,  "  let  us  have  no  more 
of  this  duplicity.  I  am  not  quite  so  ignorant  as  you  suppose. 
I  know  who  Fleta  is,  and  who  you  are." 

"  Indeed,"  replied  Melchior  ;  "  perhaps  you  will  explain  ?" 

"  I  will.  You,  Melchior,  are  Sir  Uenry  de  Clare  ;  you 
succeeded  to  your  estates  by  the  death  of  your  elder  brother, 
from  a  fall  when  hunting." 

Melchior  appeared  astonished. 

"  Indeed  1"  replied  he  ;  "  pray  go  on.  You  have  made  a 
gentleman  of  me." 

"  No  ;  rather  a  scoundrel." 

"  As  you  please  ;  now  will  you  make  a  lady  of  Fleta  ?" 

"Yes,  I  will.  She  is  your  niece."  Melchior  started  back. 
"  Your  agent,  M'Dermott,  who  was  sent  over  to  find  out 
Fleta's  abode,  met  me  in  the  coach,  and  he  has  tracked  me 
here,  and  risked  my  life,  by  telling  the  people  that  I  was  a 
tithe  proctor." 

"Your  information  is  very  important,"  replied  Melchior. 
"  You  will  find  some  difficulty  to  prove  all  you  say." 

"Not  the  least,"  replied  I,  flushed  with  anger  and  with 
wine,  "  I  have  proof,  positive.  I  have  seen  her  mother,  and  I 
can  identify  the  child  by  the  necklace  which  was  on  her  neck 
when  you  stole  her." 

"  Necklace  !"  cried  Melchior. 

"  Yes,  the  necklace  put  into  my  hands  by  your  own  wife 
when  we  parted." 

"  Damn  her  !"  cried  Melchior. 

"  Do  not  damn  her  ;  damn  yourself  for  your  villany,  and 
its  being  brought  to  light.  Have  I  said  enough,  or  shall  I  tell 
you  more  ?" 

"  Pray  tell  me  more," 

"  No,   I   will  not,   for   I  must    commit  others,   and  that 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH,  OF  A  FATHER.  245 

will  not  do,"  replied  I  ;  for  I  felt  I  had  already  said  too 
much. 

"  Yon  have  committed  yourself,  at  all  events,"  replied  Mei- 

chior  ;  "  and  now  I  tell  you,  that  until never  mind,"  and 

Melchior  hastened  away. 

The  door  was  again  locked,  and  I  was  once  more  alone. 

I  had  time  to  reflect  upon  my  imprudence.  The  coun- 
tenance of  Melchior,  when  he  left  me,  was  that  of  a  demon. 
Something  told  me  to  prepare  for  death  ;  and  I  was  not 
wrong.  The  next  day  Melchior  came  not,  nor  the  next  :  my 
provisions  were  all  gone.  I  had  nothing  but  a  little  wine 
and  water  left.  The  idea  struck  me,  that  I  was  to  die  of 
starvation  Was  there  no  means  of  escape  ?  None  ;  I  had 
no  weapon,  no  tool,  not  even  a  knife.  I  had  expended  all 
my  candles.  At  last,  it  occurred  to  me,  that,  although  I 
was  in  a  cellar,  my  voice  might  be  heard,  and  I  resolved,  as 
a  last  effort,  to  attempt  it.  I  went  to  the  door  of  the  cellar, 
and  shouted  at  the  top  of  my  lungs,  "  Murder — murder  1"  I 
shouted  again  and  again  as  loud  as  I  could,  until  I  was  ex- 
hausted. As  it  afterwards  appeared,  this  plan  did  prevent 
my  being  starved  to  death,  for  such  was  Melchior's  villanous 
intention.  About  an  hour  afterwards,  I  repeated  my  cries  of 
"  Murder — murder  1"  and  they  were  heard  by  the  household, 
who  stated  to  Melchior,  that  there  was  some  one  shouting 
murder  in  the  vaults  below.  That  night,  and  all  the  next 
day,  I  repeated  my  cries  occasionally.  I  was  now  quite  ex- 
hausted ;  I  had  been  nearly  two  days  without  food,  and  my 
wine  and  water  had  all  been  drunk.  I  sat  down  with  a 
parched  mouth  and  heated  brain,  waiting  till  I  could  suffi- 
ciently recover  my  voice  to  repeat  my  cries,  when  I  heard 
footsteps  approaching.  The  key  was  again  turned  in  the 
door,  and  a  light  appeared,  carried  by  one  of  two  men  armed 
with  large  sledge  hammers. 

14  It  is  then  all  over  with  me,w  cried  I ;  "  and  1  never  shall 
find  out  who  is  my  father.  Come  on  murderers,  and  do  your 
work.  Do  it  quickly." 


216  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

The  two  men  advanced  without  speaking  a  word  ;  the 
foremost,  who  carried  the  lantern,  laid  it  down  at  his  feet, 
and  raised  his  hammer  with  both  hands,  when  the  other 
behind  him  raised  his  weapon — and  the  foremost  fell  dead  at 
his  feet. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

18  FULL  OF  PERILOUS  ADVENTURES,  AND  IN  WHICH,  THE  READER  MAY 
BE  ASSURED,  THERE  IS  MUCH  MORE  THAN  MEETS  THE  EYE. 

"  SILENCE,"  said  a  voice  that  I  well  knew,  although  his  face  was 
completely  disguised.  It  was  Timothy!  "Silence,  Japhet," 
again  whispered  Timothy  ;  "  there  is  yet  much  danger,  but  I 
will  save  you  or  die.  Take  the  hammer.  Melchior  is  waiting 
outside."  Timothy  put  the  lantern  in  the  bin,  so  as  to  render 
it  more  dark,  and  led  me  towards  the  door,  whispering, 
"  When  he  comes  in,  we  will  secure  him." 

Melchior  soon  made  his  appearance  ;  and  as  he  entered  the 
cellar,  "  Is  it  all  right  ?"  said  he,  going  up  to  Timothy,  and 
passing  me. 

With  one  blow  I  felled  him  to  the  ground,  and  he  lay  insen- 
sible. "  That  will  do,"  replied  Timothy ;  "  now  we  must  be 
off." 

"  Not  till  he  takes  my  place,"  replied  I,  as  I  shut  the  door 
and  locked  it.  "Now  he  may  learn  what  it  is  to  starve  to 
death." 

I  then  followed  Timothy,  by  a  passage  which  led  outside  of 
the  castle,  through  which  he  and  his  companion  had  been 
admitted.  "  Our  horses  are  close  by,"  said  Timothy  ;  "  for  we 
stipulated  upon  leaving  the  country  after  it  was  done." 

It  was  just  dark  when  we  were  safe  out  of  the  castle.  We 
mounted  our  horses,  and  set  off  with  all  speed.  We  followed 
the  high  road  to  the  post  town  to  which  I  had  been  conveyed, 
and  I  determined  to  pull  up  at  Mrs.  M'Shane's,  for  I  was  so 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER  247 

exhausted  that  I  could  go  no  further.  This  was  a  measure 
which  required  precaution  ;  and  as  there  was  moonlight,  I 
turned  off  the  road  before  I  entered  the  town,  or  village,  as  it 
ought  to  have  been  called,  so  that  we  dismounted  at  the  back 
of  Mrs.  M'Shane's  house.  I  went  to  the  window  of  the  bed- 
room where  I  had  lain  down,  and  tapped  gently,  again  and 
again,  and  no  answer.  At  last,  Kathleen  made  her  appear- 
ance. 

" Can  I  come  in,  Kathleen ?"  said  I ;  "I  am  almost  dead 
with  fatigue  and  exhaustion." 

"  Yes,"  replied  she,  "  I  will  open  the  back-door  ;  there  is  no 
one  here  to-night — it  is  too  early  for  them." 

I  entered,  followed  by  Timothy,  and  as  I  stepped  over  the 
threshold,  I  fainted.  As  soon  as  I  recovered,  Mrs.  M'Shane 
led  me  up  stairs  into  her  room  for  security,  and  I  was  soon  able 
to  take  the  refreshment  I  so  much  required.  I  stated  what  had 
passed  to  Mrs.  M'Shane  and  Kathleen,  who  were  much  shocked 
at  the  account. 

"  You  had  better  wait  till  it  is  late,  before  you  go  on,"  said 
Mrs.  M'Shane,  "  it  will  be  more  safe  ;  it  is  now  nine  o'clock, 
and  the  people  will  all  be  moving  till  eleven.  I  will  give  your 
horses  some  corn,  and  when  you  are  five  miles  from  here, 
you  may  consider  yourselves  as  safe.  Holy  saints  !  what  an 
escape !" 

The  advice  was  too  good  not  to  be  followed  ;  and  I  was  so 
exhausted,  that  I  was  glad  that  prudence  was  on  the  side  of 
repose.  I  lay  down  on  Mrs.  M'Shane's  bed,  while  Timothy 
watched  over  me.  I  had  a  short  slumber,  and  then  was 
awakened  by  the  good  landlady,  who  told  me  that  it  was  time 
for  us  to  quit.  Kathleen  then  came  up  to  me,  and  said,  "  I 
would  ask  a  favour  of  you,  sir,  and  I  hope  you  will  not  refuse 
it." 

"  Kathleen,  you  may  ask  any  thing  of  me,  and  depend  upon 
it,  I  will  not  refuse  it,  if  I  can  grant  it." 

"  Then,  sir,"  replied  the  good  girl,  "  you  know  how  I  over- 
came my  feelings  to  serve  you,  will  you  overcome  yours  for  me  ? 


248  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER. 

I  cannot  bear  the  idea  that  any  one,  bad  as  he  may  be,  of  the 
family  who  have  reared  me,  should  perish  in  so  miserable  a 
manner  ;  and  I  cannot  bear  that  any  man,  bad  as  he  is,  even 
if  I  did  not  feel  obliged  to  him,  should  die  so  full  of  guilt,  and 
without  absolution.  Will  you  let  me  have  the  key,  that  Sir 
Henry  de  Clare  may  be  released  after  you  are  safe  and  away  ? 
1  know  he  does  not  deserve  any  kindness  from  you  ;  but  it  is 
a  horrid  death,  and  a  horrid  thing  to  die  so  loaded  with 
crime." 

"  Kathleen,"  replied  I,  "  I  will  keep  my  word  with  you. 
Here  is  the  key  ;  take  it  up  to-morrow  morning  and  give  it  to 
Lady  de  Clare  ;  tell  her  Japhet  Newland  sent  it." 

"  I  will,  and  God  bless  you,  sir." 

"  Good-bye,  sir,"  said  Mrs.  M'Shane  :  "  you  have  no  time  to 
lose." 

"  God  bless  you,  sir,"  said  Kathleen,  who  now  put  her  arms 
round  me,  and  kissed  me.  We  mounted  our  horses  and  set  off. 

We  pressed  our  horses,  or  rather  ponies,  for  they  were  very 
small,  till  we  had  gained  about  six  miles,  when  we  considered 
that  we  were,  comparatively  speaking,  safe,  and  then  drew  up, 
to  allow  them  to  recover  their  wind.  I  was  very  much  ex- 
hausted myself,  and  hardly  spoke  one  word  until  we  arrived  at 
the  noxt  post  town,  when  we  found  every  body  in  bed.  We 
contrved,  however,  to  knock  them  up  ;  and  Timothy  having 
seen  that  our  horses  were  put  into  the  stable,  we  lay  down  till 
the  next  morning  upon  a  bed  which  happened  to  be  unoccupied. 
Sorry  as  were  the  accommodations,  I  never  slept  so  soundly, 
and  woke  quite  refreshed.  The  next  morning  I  stated  my  in- 
tention of  posting  to  Dublin,  and  asked  Tun  what  we  should  do 
with  the  horses. 

"  They  belong  to  the  castle,"  replied  he. 

"  Then  in  God's  name,  let  the  castle  have  them,  for  I  wish  for 
nothing  from  that  horrid  place." 

We  stated  to  the  landlord  that  the  horses  were  to  be  stut 
back,  and  that  the  man  who  took  them  would  be  paid  for  his 
trouble  ;  and  then  it  occurred  to  me  that  it  would  be  a  good 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FA  PEER.  249 

opportunity  of  writing  to  Melchior,  alias  Sir  Henry.  I  do  not 
know  why,  but  certainly  my  animosity  against  him  had  sub- 
Bided,  and  I  did  not  think  of  taking  legal  measures  against  him. 
I  thought  it,  however,  right  to  frighten  him.  I  wrote,  there- 
fore, as  follows  : — 

'  SIR  HENRY, 

"  I  send  you  back  your  horses  with  thanks,  as  they  have 
enabled  Timothy  and  me  to  escape  from  your  clutches.  Your 
reputation  and  your  life  now  are  in  my  power,  and  I  will  have 
ample  revenge.  The  fact  of  your  intending  murder,  will  be  fully 
proved  by  my  friend  Timothy,  who  was  employed  by  you  in 
disguise,  and  accompanied  your  gipsy.  You  cannot  escape  the 
sentence  of  the  law.  Prepare  yourself,  then,  for  the  worst,  as 
it  is  not  my  intention  that  you  shall  escape  the  disgraceful 
punishment  due  to  your  crimes. 

"  Yours, 

"JAPHET  NEWLAND." 

Having  sealed  this,  and  given  it  to  the  lad  who  was  to  return 
with  the  horses,  we  finished  our  breakfast,  and  took  a  postchaise 
on  for  Dublin,  where  we  arrived  late  in  the  evening.  During 
our  journey  I  requested  Timothy  to  narrate  what  had  passed, 
and  by  what  fortunate  chance  he  had  been  able  to  come  so 
opportunely  to  my  rescue. 

"  If  you  recollect,  Japhet,"  replied  Timothy,  "  you  had  re- 
ceived one  or  two  letters  from  me  relative  to  the  movements  of 
the  gipsy,  and  stating  his  intention  to  carry  off  the  little  girl 
from  the  boarding-school.  My  last  letter,  in  which  I  informed 
you  that  he  had  succeeded  in  gaining  an  entrance  into  the  ladies 
school  at  Brentford,  could  not  have  reached  you,  as  I  found  by 
your  note  that  you  had  set  off  the  same  evening.  The  gipsy, 
whom  I  only  knew  by  the  name  of  Will,  inquired  of  me  the 
name  by  which  the  little  girl  was  known,  and  my  answer  was 
Smith  ;  as  I  took  it  for  granted  that,  in  a  large  seminary,  there 
must  be  one,  if  not  more,  of  that  name.  Acting  upon  this,  he 


250  JAPHEl     IN   SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER. 

made  inquiries  of  the  maid-servant  to  whom  he  paid  his  ad 
dresses,  and  made  very  handsome  presents,  if  there  was  a  Mis? 
Smith  in  the  school ;  she  replied,  that  there  were  two,  one  a 
young  lady  of  sixteen,  and  the  other  about  twelve  years  old. 
Of  course  the  one  selected  was  the  younger.  Will  had  seen  me 
in  my  livery,  and  his  plan  was  to  obtain  a  similar  one,  hire  a 
chariot,  and  go  down  to  Brentford,  with  a  request  that  Miss 
Smith  might  be  sent  up  with  him  immediately,  as  you  were  so 
ill  that  you  were  not  expected  to  live  ;  but  previous  to  his 
taking  this  step,  he  wrote  to  Melchior,  requesting  his  orders  as 
to  how  he  was  to  proceed  when  he  had  obtained  the  child. 
The  answer  from  Melchior  arrived.  By  this  time,  he  had  dis- 
covered that  you  were  in  Ireland,  and  intended  to  visit  him; 
perhaps  he  had  you  hi  confinement,  for  I  do  not  know  how  long 
you  were  there,  but  the  answer  desired  Will  to  come  over  im- 
mediately, as  there  would  be,  in  all  probability,  work  for  him, 
that  would  be  well  paid  for.  He  had  now  become  so  intimate 
with  me,  that  he  disguised  nothing  :  he  showed  me  the  letter, 
and  I  asked  him  what  it  meant ;  he  replied  that  there  was  some- 
body to  put  out  of  the  way,  that  was  clear.  It  immediately 
struck  me  that  you  must  be  the  person,  if  such  was  the  case,  and 
I  volunteered  to  go  with  him,  to  which,  after  some  difficulty, 
he  consented.  We  travelled  outside  the  mail,  and  in  four  days 
we  arrived  at  the  castle.  Will  went  up  to  Melchior,  who  told 
him  what  it  was  that  he  required.  Will  consented,  and  then 
stated  he  had  another  hand  with  him,  which  might  be  necessary, 
vouching  for  my  doing  any  thing  that  was  required.  Melchior 
Bent  for  me,  and  I  certainly  was  afraid  that  he  would  discover 
me,  but  my  disguise  was  too  good.  I  had  prepared  for  it  still 
further,  by  wearing  a  wig  of  light  hair :  he  asked  me  some 
questions,  and  I  replied  in  a  surly,  dogged  tone,  which  satisfied 
him.  The  reward  was  two  hundred  pounds,  to  be  shared  be- 
tween us  ;  and,  as  it  was  considered  advisable  that  we  should 
not  be  seen  after  the  affair  was  over,  by  the  people  about  the 
place,  we  had  the  horses  provided  for  us.  The  rest  you  well 
know.  I  was  willing  to  make  sure  that  it  was  you  before  1 


JACKET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          251 

struck  the  scoundrel,  and  the  first  glimpse  from  the  lantern,  and 
vour  voice,  convinced  me.  Thank  God,  Japhet,  but  I  have 
been  of  some  use  to  you,  at  all  events." 

"  My  dear  Tim,  you  have,  indeed,  and  you  know  me  too 
well,  to  think  I  shall  ever  forget  it  ;  but  now  I  must  first 
ascertain  where  the  will  of  the  late  Sir  William  is  to  be  found. 
We  can  read  it  for  a  shilling,  and  then  I  may  discover  what 
are  the  grounds  of  Melchior's  conduct,  for,  to  me,  it  is  still 
inexplicable." 

"  Are  wills  made  in  Ireland  registered  here,  or  at  Doctor's 
Commons  in  London. 

"  In  Dublin,  I  should  imagine." 

But  on  my  arrival  at  Dublin  I  felt  so  ill,  that  I  was  obliged 
to  retire  to  bed,  and  before  morning  I  was  in  a  violent  fever. 
Medical  assistance  was  sent  for,  and  I  was  nursed  by  Timothy 
with  the  greatest  care,  but  it  was  ten  days  before  I  could  quit 
my  bed.  For  the  first  time,  I  was  sitting  in  an  easy  chair  by 
the  fire,  when  Timothy  came  in  with  the  little  portmanteau  I 
had  left  in  the  care  of  Mrs.  M'Shane.  "  Open  it,  Timothy," 
said  I,  "  and  see  if  there  be  any  thing  in  the  way  of  a  note 
from  them."  Timothy  opened  the  portmanteau,  and  produced 
one,  which  was  lying  on  the  top.  It  was  from  Kathleen,  and 
as  follows  : — 

"  DEAR  SIR  :- 

"  They  say  there  is  terrible  work  at  the  castle,  and  that 
Sir  Henry  has  blown  out  his  brains,  or  cut  his  throat,  I  don't 
know  which.  Mr.  M'Dermott  passed  in  a  great  hurry,  but  said 
nothing  to  any  body  here.  I  will  send  you  word  of  what  has 
taken  place  ae  soon  as  I  can.  The  morning  after  you  went  away, 
I  walked  up  to  the  castle  and  gave  the  key  to  the  lady,  who 
appeared  in  a  great  fright  at  Sir  Henry  not  having  been  seen 
for  so  long  a  while.  They  wished  to  detain  me  after  they  had 
found  him  in  the  cellar  with  the  dead  man,  but  after  two  hours 
I  was  desired  to  go  away,  and  hold  my  tongue.  It  was  after 
rhe  horses  went  back  that  Sir  Henry  is  said  to  have  destroved 


252  JAl'HET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER. 

himself.     I  went  up  to  the  castle,  but  M'Dermott  had  given 
orders  for  no  one  to  be  let  in  on  any  account. 

"  Yours, 

"  KATHLEEN  M'SHANE." 

"  This  is  news,  indeed,"  said  I,  handing  the  letter  to  Timo- 
thy. "  It  mnst  have  been  my  threatening  letter  which  has 
driven  him  to  this  mad  act." 

"  Very  likely,"  replied  Timothy  ;  "but  it  was  the  best  thing 
the  scoundrel  could  do,  after  all." 

"  The  letter  was  not,  however,  written,  with  that  intention. 
I  wished  to  frighten  him,  and  have  justice  done  to  little  Fleta 
— poor  child  !  how  glad  I  shall  be  to  see  her  1" 


CHAPTER   XLIX. 

ANOTHER  INVESTIGATION  RELATIVE  TO  A  CHILD,  WHICH,  IN  THE 
SAME  WAY  AS  THE  FORMER  ONE,  ENDS  BY  THE  J.ADY  GOING 
OFF  IN  A  FIT. 

THE  next  day  the  newspapers  contained  a  paragraph,  in  which 
Sir  Henry  de  Clare  was  stated  to  have  committed  suicide.  No 
reason  could  be  assigned  for  this  rash  act,  was  the  winding  up 
of  the  intelligence.  I  also  received  another  letter  from  Kath- 
leen M'Shane,  confirming  the  previous  accounts  :  her  mother 
had  been  sent  for  to  assist  in  laying  out  the  body.  There  was 
now  no  further  doubt,  and  as  soon  as  I  could  venture  out, 
I  hastened  to  the  proper  office,  where  I  read  the  will  of  the 
late  Sir  William.  It  was  very  short,  merely  disposing  of  his 
personal  property  to  his  wife,  and  a  few  legacies  ;  for,  as  1  dis- 
covered, only  a  small  portion  of  the  estates  were  entailed  with 
the  title,  and  the  remainder  was  not  only  to  the  heirs  male,  V»nt 
the  eldest  female,  should  there  be  no  male  heir,  with  the  pro- 
viso, that  should  she  marry,  the  husband  was  to  take  upou 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  2f>3 

himself  the  name  of  De  Clare.  Here,  then,  was  the  mystery 
explained,  and  why  Melchior  had  stolen  away  his  brother's 
child.  Satisfied  with  my  discovery,  I  determined  to  leave  for 
England  immediately,  find  out  the  Dowager-lady  de  Clare,  and 
put  the  whole  case  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Masterton.  For- 
tunately, Timothy  had  money  with  him  sufficient  to  pay  all 
expenses,  and  take  us  to  London,  or  I  should  have  been 
obliged  to  wait  for  remittances,  as  mine  was  all  expended 
before  I  arrived  at  Dublin.  We  arrived  safe,  and  I  imme- 
diately proceeded  to  my  house,  where  I  found  Harcourt,  who 
had  been  in  great  anxiety  about  me.  The  next  morning  I 
went  to  my  old  legal  friend,  to  whom  I  communicated  all  that 
had  happened. 

"  Well  done,  Newland,"  replied  he,  after  I  had  finished. 
"  I'll  bet  ten  to  one  that  you  find  out  your  father.  Your  life 
already  would  not  make  a  bad  novel.  If  you  continue  your 
hair-breadth  adventures  in  this  way,  it  will  be  quite  interesting." 

Although  satisfied  in  my  own  mind  that  I  had  discovered 
Fleta's  parentage,  and  anxious  to  impart  the  joyful  intelligence 
I  resolved  not  to  see  her  until  every  thing  should  be  satisfao 
torily  arranged.  The  residence  of  the  Dowager-lady«de  Clarr 
was  soon  discovered  by  Mr.  Masterton  :  it  was  at  Richmond, 
and  thither  he  and  I  proceeded.  We  were  ushered  into  the 
drawing-room,  and,  to  my  delight,  upon  her  entrance,  I  per- 
ceived that  it  was  the  same  beautiful  person  in  whose  ears  I 
had  seen  the  coral  and  gold  ear-rings  matching  the  necklace 
belonging  to  Fleta.  I  considered  it  better  to  allow  Mr.  Mas- 
terton to  break  the  subject. 

"  You  are,  madam,  the  widow  of  the  late  Sir  William  de 
Clare."  The  lady  bowed.  "  You  will  excuse  me,  madam,  but 
I  have  most  important  reasons  for  asking  you  a  few  questions, 
which  otherwise  may  appear  to  be  intrusive.  Are  you  aware 
of  the  death  of  his  brother,  Sir  Henry  de  Clare  ?" 

"  Indeed  I  was  not,"  replied  she.  "  I  seldom  look  at  a 
paper,  and  I  have  long  ceased  to  correspond  with  any  one  in 
Ireland.  May  I  ask  you  what  occasioned  his  death  V 


254  JAFHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER. 

•'  He  fell  by  his  own  hands,  madam." 

Lady  de  Clare  covered  op  her  face.  "  God  forgive  him  1* 
Baid  she,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Lady  de  Clare,  upon  what  terms  were  your  husband  and 
the  late  Sir  Henry  ?  It  is  important  to  know." 

"  Not  on  the  very  best,  sir.  Indeed,  latterly,  for  years,  they 
never  met  or  spoke  :  we  did  not  know  what  had  become  of 
him." 

"  Were  there  any  grounds  for  ill-will  ?" 

"  Many,  sir,  on  the  part  of  the  elder  brother  ;  but  none  on 
that  of  Sir  Henry,  who  was  treated  with  every  kindness,  until 

he "  Lady  de  Clare  stopped — "  until  he  behaved  very  ill 

to  him." 

As  we  afterwards  discovered,  Henry  de  Clare  had  squan- 
dered away  the  small  portion  left  him  by  his  father,  and  had 
ever  after  that  been  liberally  supplied  by  his  eldest  brother, 
until  he  had  attempted  to  seduce  Lady  de  Clare,  upon  which 
he  was  dismissed  for  ever. 

"  And  now,  madam,  I  must  revert  to  a  painful  subject.  You 
had  a  daughter  by  your  marriage  ?" 

"  Yes,?  replied  the  lady,  with  a  deep  sigh. 

"  How  did  you  lose  her  ?  Pray  do  not  think  I  am  creating 
this  distress  on  your  part  without  strong  reasons." 

"  She  was  playing  in  the  garden,  and  the  nurse,  who  thought 
it  rather  cold,  ran  in  for  a  minute  to  get  a  handkerchief  to  tie 
round  her  neck.  When  the  nurse  returned,  the  child  had  dis- 
appeared." Lady  de  Clare  put  her  handkerchief  up  to  her 
eyes. 

"  Where  did  you  find  her  afterwards  ?" 

"  It  was  not  until  three  weeks  afterwards  that  her  body  was 
found  in  a  pond  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off." 

"  Did  the  nurse  not  seek  her  when  she  discovered  that  she 
was  not  in  the  garden  ?" 

"She  did,  and  immediately  ran  in  that  direction.  It  is 
quite  strange  that  the  child  could  have  got  so  far  without  the 
nurse  perceiving  her." 


JAFHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  255 

44  How  long  is  it  ago  ?" 

"  It  is  now  nine  years.' 

"  And  the  age  of  the  child  at  the  same  time  ?" 

44  About  six  years  old." 

"  I  think,  Newland,  you  may  now  speak  to  Lady  do  Clare." 

"  Lady  de  Clare,  have  you  not  a  pair  of  ear-rings  of  coral 
and  gold  of  very  remarkable  workmanship  ?" 

"  I  have,  sir,"  replied  she  with  surprise. 

"Had  you  not  a  necklace  of  the  same?  and  if  so,  will  yon 
do  me  the  favour  to  examine  this?"  I  presented  the  neck- 
lace. 

"  Merciful  heaven  1"  cried  Lady  de  Clare,  "  it  is  the  very 
necklace  ! — it  was  on  my  poor  Cecilia  when  she  was  drowned, 
and  it  was  not  found  with  the  body.  How  came  it  into  your 
possession,  sir  ?  At  one  time,"  continued  Lady  de  Clare,  weep- 
ing, "  I  thought  that  it  was  possible  that  the  temptation  of  the 
necklace,  which  has  a  great  deal  of  gold  in  it,  must,  as  it  was 
not  found  on  her  corpse,  have  been  inducement  for  the  gipsies, 
who  were  in  the  neighbourhood,  to  drown  her;  but  Sir  William 
would  not  believe  it,  rather  supposing  that  in  her  struggles  in 
the  water  she  must  have  broken  it,  and  that  it  had  thus  been 
detached  from  her  neck.  Is  it  to  return  this  unfortunate  neck- 
lace that  you  have  come  here  ?" 

"  No,  madam,  not  altogether.  Had  you  two  white  ponies 
at  that  time  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Was  there  a  mulberry  tree  in  the  garden  F* 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  astonished  lady. 

14  Will  you  do  me  the  favour  to  describe  the  appearance  of 
your  child  as  she  was,  at  the  time  that  you  lost  her  ?" 

14  She  was — but  all  mothers  are  partial,  and  perhaps  I  may 
also  be  so — a  very  fair,  lovely  little  girl." 

41  With  light  hair,  I  presume  ?" 

44  Yes,  sir.  But  why  these  questions  ?  Surely  you  cannot 
ask  them  for  nothing,"  continued  she,  hurriedly.  "  Tell  me,  sir, 
why  all  those  questions  1" 


256  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER. 

Mr.  Masterton  replied,  "Because,  madam,  we  have  some 
hopes  that  you  have  been  deceived,  and  that  it  is  possible  that 
your  daughter  was  not  drowned." 

Lady  de  Clare,  breathless  and  her  month  open,  fixed  her 
eyes  upon  Mr.  Masterton,  and  exclaimed,  "  Not  drowned  !  0 
my  God  I  my  head  I"  and  then  she  fell  back  insensible. 

"  I  have  been  too  precipitate,"  said  Mr.  Masterton,  going  to 
her  assistance  ;  "  but  joy  does  not  kill.  Ring  for  some  water, 
Japbet." 


CHAPTER    L. 

IK  WHICH    IF   THE    READER  DOES    NOT    SYMPATHISE   WITH    THE    PAR- 
TIES,   HE  HAD  BETTER  SHUT  THE  BOOK. 

IN  a  few  minutes  Lady  de  Clare  was  sufficiently  recovered  to 
hear  the  outline  of  our  history  ;  and  as  soon  as  it  was  over, 
she  insisted  upon  immediately  going  with  us  to  the  school  where 
Fleta  was  domiciled,  as  she  could  ascertain,  by  several  marks 
known  but  to  a  nurse  or  mother,  if  more  evidence  was  required, 
whether  Fleta  was  her  child  or  not.  To  allow  her  to  remain 
in  such  a  state  of  anxiety  was  impossible,  Mr.  Masterton  agreed, 

and  we  posted  to ,  where  we  arrived  in  the  evening. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,  leave  me  but  one  minute  with  the  child,  and 
when  I  ring  the  bell,  you  may  enter."  Lady  de  Clare  was  iu 
so  nervous  and  agitated  a  state,  that  she  could  not  walk  into 
the  parlour  without  assistance.  We  led  her  to  a  chair,  and  in 
a  minute  Fleta  was  called  down.  Perceiving  me  in  the  passage, 
she  ran  to  me.  "  Stop,  my  dear  Fleta,  there  is  a  lady  in  the 
purlour,  who  wishes  to  see  you." 

"  A  lady,  Japhet  ?" 

"  Yes,  my  dear,  go  in." 

Fleta  obeyed,  and  in  a  minute  we  heard  a  scream,  and  Fleta 
hastily  opened  the  door,  "  Quick  1  Quick  1  the  lady  has  fallen 
down." 


OAPHET,  IX  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  257 

We  ran  in  and  found  Lady  de  Clare  on  the  floor,  and  it  was 
some  time  before  she  returned  to  her  senses.  As  soon  as  she 
did,  she  fell  down  on  her  knees,  holding  up  her  hands  as  in 
prayer,  and  then  stretched  her  arms  out  to  Fleta.  "  My  child  1 
my  long  lost  child  !  it  is — it  is,  indeed  !"  A  flood  of  tears 
poured  forth  on  Fleta's  neck  relieved  her,  and  we  then  left 
them  together  ;  old  Masterton  observing,  as  we  took  our  seats 

in  the  back  parlour,  "  By  G ,  Japhet,  you  deserve  to  find 

your  own  father  1" 

In  about  an  hour  Lady  de  Clare  requested  to  see  us.  Fleta 
rushed  into  my  arms  and  sobbed,  while  her  mother  apologised 
to  Mr.  Masterton  for  the  delay  and  excusable  neglect  towards 
him.  "  Mr.  Newlaud,  madam,  is  the  person  to  whom  you  are 
indebted  for  your  present  happiness.  I  will  now,  if  you  please, 
take  my  leave,  and  will  call  upon  you  to-morrow." 

"  I  will  not  detain  you,  Mr.  Masterton  ;  but  Mr.  Newland 
will,  I  trust,  come  home  with  Cecilia  and  me  ;  I  have  much  to 
ask  of  him."  I  consented,  and  Mr.  Masterton  went  back  to 
town  ;  I  went  to  the  principal  hotel  to  order  a  chaise  and 
horses,  while  Fleta  packed  up  her  wardrobe. 

In  half  an  hour  we  set  off,  and  it  was  midnight  before  we 
arrived  at  Richmond.  During  my  journey  I  narrated  to  Lady 
de  Clare  every  particular  of  our  meeting  with  Fleta.  We  were 
all  glad  to  go  to  bed  ;  and  the  kind  manner  in  which  Lady  de 
Clare  wished  me  good  night,  with  "God  bless  you,  Mr.  New- 
land  1"  brought  the  tears  into  my  eyes. 

I  breakfasted  alone  the  next  morning,  Lady  de  Clare  and 
her  daughter  remaining  up  stairs.  It  was  nearly  twelve  o'clock 
when  they  made  their  appearance,  both  so  apparently  happy, 
that  I  could  not  help  thinking,  "  When  shall  I  have  such  plea- 
sure— when  shall  I  find  out  who  is  my  father  ?"  My  brow  was 
clouded  as  the  thought  entered  my  mind,  when  Lady  de  Clare 
requested  that  I  would  inform  her  who  it  was  to  whom  she  and 
her  daughter  were  under  such  eternal  obligations.  I  had  then 
to  narrate  my  own  eventful  history,  most  of  which  was  as  new 
to  Cecilia  (as  she  now  must  be  called)  as  it  was  to  her  mother 


258  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

I  had  just  terminated  the  escape  from  the  castle,  when  Mr 
Masterton's  carriage  drove  up  to  the  door.  As  soon  as  he  had 
bowed  to  Lady  de  Clare,  he  said  to  me,  "  Japhet,  here  is  a 
letter  directed  to  you,  to  my  care,  from  Ireland,  which  I  have 
brought  for  you." 

"  It  is  from  Kathleen  M'Shane,  sir,"  replied  I,  and  requesting 
leave,  I  broke  the  seal.  It  contained  another.  I  read  Kath- 
leen's, and  then  hastily  opened  the  other.  It  was  from  Nattde, 
or  Lady  H.  de  Clare,  and  ran  as  follows  : — 

"  JAPHET  NEWLAND, — Fleta  is  the  daughter  of  Sir  William 
de  Clare.  Dearly  has  my  husband  paid  for  his  act  of  folly  and 
wickedness  and  to  which  you  must  know  I  never  was  a  party. 

"Yours, 

"  NATTE~E." 

The  letter  from  Kathleen  added  more  strange  information. 
Lady  de  Clare,  after  the  funeral  of  her  husband,  had  sent  for 
the  steward,  made  every  necessary  arrangement,  discharged 
the  servants,  and  then  had  herself  disappeared,  no  one  knew 
whither  ;  but  it  was  reported  that  somebody  very  much  resem- 
bling her  had  been  seen  travelling  south  in  company  with  a 
gang  of  gipsies.  I  handed  both  letters  over  to  Lady  de  Clare 
and  Mr.  Masterton. 

"  Poor  Lady  de  Clare  !"  observed  the  mother. 

"Nattee  will  never  leave  her  tribe,"  observed  Cecilia  qui- 
etly. 

"  You  are  right,  my  dear,"  replied  I.  "  She  will  be  happier 
with  her  tribe,  where  she  commands  as  a  queen,  than  ever  she 
was  at  the  castle." 

Mr.  Masterton  then  entered  into  a  detail  with  Lady  de  Clare 
as  to  what  steps  ought  immediately  to  be  taken,  as  the  heirs-at- 
law  would  otherwise  give  some  trouble  ;  and  having  obtained 
her  acquiescence,  it  was  time  to  withdraw.  "  Mr.  Newland,  I 
trust  you  will  consider  us  as  your  warmest  friends.  I  am  so 
much  in  your  debt,  that  I  never  can  repay  you  ;  but  I  am  also 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  259 

in  your  debt  in  a  pecuniary  way — that,  at  least,  you  must  per- 
mit me  to  refund." 

"  When  I  require  it,  Lady  de  Clare,  I  will  accept  it.  Do 
not,  pray,  vex  me  by  the  proposition.  I  have  not  much  happi- 
ness as  it  is,  although  I  am  rejoiced  at  yours  and  that  of  your 
daughter." 

"  Come,  Lady  de  Clare,  I  must  not  allow  you  to  tease  my 
protege  ;  you  donot  know  how  sensitive  he  is.  We  will  now 
take  our  leave." 

"  You  will  soon  come,"  said  Cecilia,  looking  anxiously 
at  me. 

"  You  have  your  mother,  Cecilia,"  replied  I ;  "  what  can 
you  wish  for  more  ?  I  am  a — nobody — without  a  parent." 

Cecilia  burst  into  tears  :  I  embraced  her,  and  Mr.  Masterton 
and  I  left  the  room. 


CHAPTER    LI. 

I  RKTURN   TO  THE    GAY  WORLD,  BUT  AM    NOT  WELL   RECEIVED  ;    I  AM 
QUITE  DISGUSTED  WITH  IT  AND  HONESTY,  AND   EVERY  THING  ELSE. 

How  strange,  now  that  I  had  succeeded  in  the  next  dearest 
object  of  my  wishes,  after  ascertaining  my  own  parentage,  that 
I  should  have  felt  so  miserable  ;  but  it  was  the  fact,  and  I  can- 
not deny  it.  I  could  hardly  answer  Mr.  Masterton  during  our 
journey  to  town  ;  and  when  I  threw  myself  on  the  sofa  in  my 
own  room,  I  felt  as  if  I  was  desolate  and  deserted.  I  did  not 
repine  at  Cecilia's  happiness  ;  so  far  from  it,  I  would  have  sacri- 
ficed my  life  for  her  ;  but  she  was  a  creature  of  my  own — one 
of  the  objects  in  this  world  to  which  I  was  endeared — one  that 
had  been  dependent  on  me  "and  loved  me.  Now  that  she  was 
restored  to  her  parent,  she  rose  above  me,  and  I  was  left  still 
more  desolate.  I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  passed  a  week  of 
Bach  misery  as  the  one  which  followed  a  dtnoutment  product! re 


260  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

of  so  much  happiness  to  others,  and  which  had  been  sought 
with  so  much  eagerness,  and  at  so  much  risk,  by  myself.  It 
was  no  feeling  of  envy,  God  knows  ;  but  it  appeared  to  me  as 
if  every  one  in  the  world  was  to  be  made  happy  except  myself. 
Rut  1  had  more  to  bear  up  against. 

When  I  had  quitted  for  Ireland,  it  was  still  supposed  that  I 
was  a  young  man  of  large  fortune — the  truth  had  not  been  told. 
I  had  acceded  to  Mr.  Mastertou's  suggestions,  that  I  was  no 
longer  to  appear  under  false  colours,  ana  had  requested  liar- 
court,  to  whom  I  made  known  my  real  condition,  that  he  would 
every  where  state  the  truth.  News  like  this  flies  like  wildfire  : 
there  were  too  many  whom,  perhaps,  when  under  the  patronage 
of  Major  Carbonnell,  and  the  universal  rapture  from  my  sup- 
posed wealth,  I  had  treated  with  hauteur,  glad  to  receive  the 
intelligence,  and  spread  it  far  and  wide.  My  imposition,  as 
they  pleased  to  term  it,  was  the  theme  of  every  party,  and 
many  were  the  indignant  remarks  of  the  dowagers  who  had  so 
often  indirectly  proposed  to  me  their  daughters  ;  and  if  there 
was  any  one  more  virulent  than  the  rest,  I  hardly  need  say  that 
it  was  Lady  Maelstrom,  who  nearly  killed  her  job  horses  in 
driving  about  from  one  acquaintance  to  another,  to  repiesent 
my  unheard-of  atrocity  in  presuming  to  deceive  my  betters. 
Harcourt,  who  had  agreed  to  live  with  me — Harcourt,  who 
had  praised  my  magnanimity  in  making  the  disclosure — even 
Harcourt  fell  off ;  and  about  a  fortnight  after  I  had  arrived  in 
town,  told  me  that  not  finding  the  lodgings  so  convenient  as 
his  former  abode,  he  intended  to  return  to  it.  He  took  a 
friendly  leave  ;  but  I  perceived  that  if  we  happened  to  meet  in 
the  streets,  he  often  contrived  to  be  looking  another  way  ;  and 
at  last,  a  slight  recognition  was  all  that  I  received.  Satisfied 
that  it  was  intended,  I  no  longer  noticed  him  :  he  followed  but 
the  example  of  others.  So  great  was  the  outcry  raised  by 
those  who  had  hoped  to  have  secured  me  as  a  good  match,  that 
any  young  man  of  fashion  who  was  seen  with  me,  had,  by  many, 
his  name  erased  from  their  visiting  lists.  This  decided  my  fate, 
and  I  was  alone.  For  some  time  I  bore  up  proudly ;  I  returned 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  261 

a  glance  of  defiance,  but  this  could  not  last.  The  treatment 
of  others  received  a  slight  check  from  the  kindness  of  Lord 
Windermear,  who  repeatedly  asked  me  to  his  table  ;  but  I  per- 
ceived that  even  there,  although  suffered  as  a  protege1  of  his 
lordship,  any  thing  more  than  common  civility  was  studiously 
avoided,  in  order  that  no  intimacy  might  result.  Mr.  Master- 
ton,  upon  whom  I  occasionally  called,  saw  that  I  was  unwell 
and  unhappy.  He  encouraged  me  ;  but,  alas  1  a  man  must  be 
more  than  mortal,  who,  with  fine  feelings,  can  endure  the  scorn 
of  the  world.  Timothy,  poor  fellow,  who  witnessed  more  of  my 
unhappy  state  of  mind  than  any  body  else,  offered  in  vain  his 
consolation.  "  And  this,"  thought  I,  "is  the  reward  of  virtue 
and  honesty.  Truly,  virtue  is  its  own  reward,  for  it  obtains  no 
other.  As  long  as  I  was  under  false  colours,  allowing  the 
world  to  deceive  themselves,  I  was  courted  and  nattered.  Now 
that  I  have  thrown  off  the  mask,  and  put  on  the  raiment  of 
truth,  I  am  a  despised,  miserable  being.  Yes  ;  but  is  not  this 
my  own  fault  ?  Did  I  not,  by  my  own  deception,  bring  all  this 
upon  myself?  Whether  unmasked  by  others,  or  by  myself,  is 
it  not  equally  true  that  I  have  been  playing  false,  and  am  now 
punished  for  it?  What  do  the  world  care  for  your  having 
returned  to  truth  ?  You  have  offended  by  deceiving  them,  and 
that  is  an  offence  which  your  repentance  will  not  extenuate." 
It  was  but  too  true,  I  had  brought  it  all  on  myself,  and  this 
reflection  increased  my  misery.  For  my  dishonesty,  I  had  been 
justly  and  severely  punished :  whether  I  was  ever  to  be  rewarded 
for  my  subsequent  honesty  still  remained  to  be  proved  ;  but  I 
knew  very  well  that  most  people  would  have  written  off  such  a 
reward  as  a  bad  debt. 

Once  I  consulted  with  Mr.  Masterton  as  to  the  chance  of 
there  being  any  information  relative  to  my  birth  in  the  packet 
left  in  the  charge  of  Mr.  Cophagus.  "  I  have  been  thinking 
over  it,  my  dear  Newland,"  said  he,  "  and  I  wish  I  could  give 
you  any  hopes,  but  I  cannot.  Having  succeeded  with  regard  to 
your  little  protdgd,  you  are  now  so  sanguine  with  respect  to 
yourself,  that  a  trifle  light  as  air  is  magnified,  as  the  poet  says, 


262  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER. 

'  into  confirmation  strong  as  holy  writ.'  Now,  consider,  some- 
body calls  at  the  Foundling  to  ask  after  you — which  I  acknow 
ledge  to  be  a  satisfactory  point — his  name  is  taken  down  by  an 
illiterate  brute,  as  Derbennon  ;  but  how  you  can  decide  upon 
the  real  name,  and  assume  it  is  De  Benyon,  is  really  more  than 
I  can  imagine,  allowing  every  scope  to  fancy.  It  is  in  the  first 
instance,  therefore,  you  are  at  fault,  as  there  are  many  other 
names  which  may  have  been  given  by  the  party  who  called; 
nay,  more,  is  it  at  all  certain  that  the  party,  in  a  case  like  this, 
would  give  his  real  name  ?  Let  us  follow  it  up.  Allowing  the 
name  to  have  been  De  Benyon,  you  discover  that  one  brother 
is  not  married,  and  that  there  are  some  papers  belonging  to 
him  in  the  possession  of  an  old  woman  who  dies  ;  and  upon 
these  slight  grounds  what  would  you  attempt  to  establish  ?  that 
because  that  person  was  known  not  to  have  married,  therefore 
he.  was  married  (for  you  are  stated  to  have  been  born  in  wed- 
lock); and  because  there  is  a  packet  of  papers  belonging  to 
him  in  the  possession  of  another  party,  that  this  packet  of 
papers  must  refer  to  you.  Do  you  not  perceive  how  you  are  led 
away  by  your  excited  feelings  on  the  subject  V 

I  could  not  deny  that  Mr.  Masterton's  arguments  had  demo- 
lished the  whole  fabric  which  I  had  built  up.  "  You  are  right, 
sir,"  replied  I  mournfully.  "  I  wish  I  were  dead." 

"  Never  speak  in  that  way,  Mr.  Newland,  before  me,"  replied 
the  old  lawyer  in  an  angry  tone,  "  without  you  wish  to  forfeit 
my  good  opinion." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir  ;  but  I  am  most  miserable.  I  am 
avoided  by  all  who  know  me — thrown  out  of  all  society — I 
have  not  a  parent  or  a  relative.  Isolated  being  as  I  am,  what 
have  I  to  live  for  ?" 

"  My  dear  fellow,  you  are  not  twenty-three  years  of  age," 
replied  Mr.  Masterton,  "  and  you  have  made  two  sincere 
friends,  both  powerful  in  their  own  way.  I  mean  Lord  Win- 
dermear  and  myself  :  and  you  have  had  the  pleasure  of  making 
others  happy.  Believe  me,  that  is  much  to  have  accomplished 
at  so  early  an  age.  You  have  much  to  live  for — live  to  gain 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  263 

more  friends — live  to  gain  reputation — live  to  do  gooc  —to  be 
grateful  for  the  benefits  you  have  received,  asd  to  be  humble 
when  chastened  by  Providence.  You  have  yet  to  learn  where, 
and  only  where,  true  happiness  is  to  be  found.  Since  you  are 
BO  much  out  of  spirits,  go  down  to  Lady  de  Clare's,  see  her 
happiness,  and  that  of  her  little  girl ;  and  then,  when  you 
reflect  that  it  was  your  own  work,  you  will  hardly  say,  that 
you  have  lived  hi  vain."  I  was  too  much  overpowered  to  speak. 
After  a  pause,  Mr.  Masterton  continued,  "  When  did  you  see 
them  last  ?" 

"  I  have  never  seen  them,  sir,  since  I  was  with  you  at  their 
meeting." 

"  What  1  have  you  not  called — now  nearly  two  months  ? 
Japhet,  you  are  wrong  :  they  will  be  hurt  at  your  neglect  and 
want  of  kindness.  Have  you  written  or  heard  from  them  ?" 

"  I  have  received  one  or  two  pressing  invitations,  sir,  but  I 
have  not  been  in  a  state  of  mind  to  avail  myself  of  their  polite- 
ness." 

"  Politeness  !  you  were  wrong — all  wrong — Japhet.  Your 
mind  is  cankered,  or  you  never  would  have  used  that  term.  I 
thought  you  were  composed  of  better  materials  ;  but  it  appears 
that  although  you  can  sail  with  a  fair  wind,  you  cannot  buffet 
against  an  adverse  gale.  Because  you  are  no  longer  fooled  and 
flattered  by  the  interested  and  the  designing,  like  many  others 
you  have  quarrelled  with  the  world.  Is  it  not  so  ?" 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,  sir." 

"  I  know  that  I  am  right,  and  that  you  are  wrong.  Now  I 
shall  be  seriously  displeased  if  you  do  not  go  down  and  sec 
Lady  de  Clare  and  her  daughter,  as  soon  as  yon  can." 

"  I  will  obey  your  orders,  sir." 

"  My  wishes,  Japhet,  not  my  orders.  Let  me  see  yon  when 
you  return.  You  must  no  longer  be  idle.  Consider,  that  you 
are  about  to  recommence  your  carreer  in  life  ;  that  hitherto 
you  have  pursued  the  wrong  path,  from  which  you  have  nobly 
returned.  You  must  prepare  for  exertions,  and  learn  to  trust  to 
God  and  a  good  conscience.  Lord  Windermear  and  I  had  a 


264  APHET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER. 

long  conversation  relative  to  you  yesterday  evening  ;  and  whec 
you  come  back,  I  will  detail  to  you  what  are  our  views  respect- 
ing your  future  advantage." 


CHAPTER  LII. 

A  NEW  CHARACTER  APPEARS,  BUT  NOT  A  VERY  AMIABLE  ONE  J    BUT  I 
ATTACH  MYSELF  TO   HIM,  AS  DROWNING  MEN  CATCH  AT  STRAWS. 

I  TOOK  my  leave,  more  composed  in  mind,  and  the  next  day 
I  went  down  to  Lady  de  Clare's.  I  was  kindly  received,  more 
than  kindly,  I  was  affectionately  and  parentally  received  by  the 
mother,  and  by  Cecilia  as  a  dear  brother  ;  but  they  perceived 
my  melancholy,  and  when  they  had  upbraided  me  for  my  long 
neglect,  they  inquired  the  cause.  As  I  had  already  made  Lady 
de  Clare  acquainted  with  my  previous  history,  I  had  no  secrets; 
in  fact,  it  was  a  consolation  to  confide  my  griefs  to  them.  Lord 
Windermear  was  too  much  above  me — Mr.  Masterton  was  too 
matter-of-fact — Timothy  was  too  inferior — and  they  were  all 
men  ;  but  the  kind  soothing  of  a  woman  was  peculiarly  grate- 
ful, and  after  a  sojourn  of  three  days,  I  took  my  leave,  with  my 
mind  much  less  depressed  than  when  I  arrived. 

On  my  return,  I  called  upon  Mr.  Masterton,  who  stated  to 
me  that  Lord  Windermear  was  anxious  to  serve  me,  and  that 
he  would  exert  his  interest  in  any  way  which  might  be  most 
congenial  to  my  feelings  ;  that  he  would  procure  me  a  commis- 
sion in  the  army,  or  a  writership  to  India  ;  or,  if  I  preferred  it, 
I  might  study  the  law  under  the  auspices  of  Mr.  Masterton.  If 
none  of  these  propositions  suited  me,  I  might  state  what  would 
be  preferred,  and  that,  as  far  as  his  interest  and  pecuniary 
assistance  could  avail,  I  might  depend  on  it.  "  So  now,  Japhet, 
you  may  go  home  and  reflect  seriously  upon  these  offers  ;  and 
when  you  have  made  up  your  mind  what  course  you  will  steer, 
you  have  only  to  let  me  know." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  265 

I  returned  my  thanks  to  Mr.  Masterton,  aud  begged  that  he 
would  convey  my  grateful  acknowledgments  to  his  lordship. 
As  I  walked  home,  I  met  a  Captain  Atkinson,  a  man  of  very 
doubtful  character,  whom,  by  the  advice  of  Carbonnell,  I  had 
always  kept  at  a  distance.  He  had  lost  a  large  fortune  by 
gambling,  and  having  been  pigeoned,  had,  as  usual,  ended  by 
becoming  a  rook.  He  was  a  fashionable,  well-looking  man,  of 
good  family,  suffered  in  society,  for  he  had  found  out  that  it 
was  necessary  to  hold  his  position  by  main  force.  He  was  a 
noted  duellist,  had  killed  his  three  or  four  men,  and  a  cut  direct 
from  any  person  was,  with  him,  sufficient  grounds  for  sending  a 
friend.  Every  body  was  civil  to  him,  because  no  one  wished  to 
quarrel  with  him. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Newland,"  said  he,  offering  his  hand,  "  I  am 
delighted  to  see  you  ;  I  have  heard  at  the  clubs  of  your  misfor- 
tune, and  there  were  some  free  remarks  made  by  some.  I  have 
great  pleasure  in  saying  that  I  put  an  immediate  stop  to  them, 
by  telling  them  that,  if  they  were  repeated  in  my  presence,  I 
should  consider  it  as  a  personal  quarrel." 

Three  months  before,  had  I  met  Captain  Atkinson,  I  should 
have  returned  his  bow  with  studied  politeness,  and  have  left 
him  ;  but  how  changed  were  my  feelings  !  I  took  his  hand,  and 
shook  it  warmly. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  replied  I,  "  I  am  very  much  obliged  for  your 
kind  and  considerate  conduct ;  there  are  more  who  are  inclined 
to  calumniate  than  to  defend." 

"  And  always  will  be  in  this  world,  Mr.  Newland  ;  but  I 
have  a  fellow  feeling.  I  recollect  how  I  was  received  and  flat- 
tered when  I  was  introduced  as  a  young  man  of  fortune,  and 
how  I  was  deserted  and  neglected  when  I  was  cleaned  out.  I 
know  now  why  they  are  so  civil  to  me,  and  I  value  their  civility 
at  just  as  much  as  it  is  worth.  Will  you  accept  my  arm  : — I 
am  going  your  way." 

I  could  not  refuse  ;  but  I  coloured  when  I  took  it,  for  I  felt 
that  I  was  not  adding  to  my  reputation  by  being  seen  in  his 
company  ;  and  still  1  felt  that  although  not  adding  to  my  re> 

12 


266  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER 

putation,  I  was  less  likely  to  receive  insult,  and  that  the  same 
cause  which  induced  them  to  be  civil  to  him,  would  perhaps 
operate  when  they  found  me  allied  with  him.  "Be  it  so," 
thought  I,  "  I  will,  if  possible,  extort  politeness." 

We  were  strolling  down  Bond  Street,  when  we  met  a  young 
man,  well  known  hi  the  fashionable  circles,  who  had  dropped 
my  acquaintance,  after  having  been  formerly  most  pressing  to 
obtain  it.  Atkinson  faced  him.  "  Good  morning,  Mr.  Ox- 
berry." 

"  Good  morning,  Captain  Atkinson,"  replied  Mr.  Oxberry. 

"  I  thought  you  knew  my  friend  Mr.  Newland  ?"  observed 
Atkinson,  rather  fiercely. 

11  Oh  !  really — I  quite — I  beg  pardon.  Good  morning,  Mr. 
Newland  ;  you  have  been  long  absent.  I  did  not  see  you  at 
Lady  Maelstrom's  last  night." 

"  No,"  replied  I,  carelessly,  "  nor  will  you  ever.  When  you 
next  see  her  ladyship,  ask  her,  with  my  compliments,  whether 
she  has  had  another  fainting  fit." 

"  I  shall  certainly  have  great  pleasure  in  carrying  your  me» 
sage,  Mr.  Newlaiid — good  morning." 

"That  fool,"  observed  Atkinson,  "will  now  run  all  over 
town,  and  you  will  see  the  consequence." 

We  met  one  or  two  others,  and  to  them  Atkinson  put  the 
same  question,  "  I  thought  you  knew  my  friend  Mr.  Newland  ?" 
At  last,  just  as  we  arrived  at  my  own  house  in  St.  James's 
Street,  who  should  we  meet  but  Harcourt.  Harcourt  immedi- 
ately perceived  me,  and  bowed  low  as  he  passed  on,  so  that  his 
bow  would  have  served  for  both  ;  but  Atkinson  stopped.  "  I 
must  beg  your  pardon,  Harcourt,  for  detaining  you  a  moment, 
but  what  are  the  odds  upon  the  Vestris  colt  for  the  Derby  ?" 

"  Upon  my  word,  Captain  Atkinson,  I  was  told,  but  I  hate 
forgotten." 

"  You  memory  appears  bad,  for  you  have  also  forgotten  your 
old  friend,  Mr.  Newland." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Newland." 

"There  is  no  occasion  to  Deg  my  pardon,  Mr.  Harconrt," 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          261 

interrupted  I ;  "  for  I  tell  you  plainly,  that  I  despise  you 
too  much  to  ever  wish  to  be  acquainted  with  you.  Yon  will 
oblige  me,  sir,  by  never  presuming  to  touch  your  hat,  or  other- 
wise notice  me." 

Harcourt  coloured,  and  started  back.  "  Such  language. 
Mr.  Newland " 

"  Is  what  you  deserve  :  ask  your  own  conscience.  Leave  ug, 
sir  ;"  and  I  walked  on  with  Captain  Atkinson. 

"  You  have  done  well,  Newland,"  observed  Atkinson :  "  he 
cannot  submit  to  that  language,  for  he  knows  that  I  have  heard 
it.  A  meeting  you  will  of  course  have  no  objection  to.  It  will 
be  of  immense  advantage  to  you." 

"  None  whatever,"  replied  I ;  "  for  if  there  is  any  one  man 
who  deserves  to  be  punished  for  his  conduct  towards  me,  it 
is  Harcourt.  Will  you  come  up,  Capiain  Atkinson,  and,  if  not 
better  engaged,  take  a  quiet  dinner  and  a  bottle  of  wine  with 
me?" 

Our  conversation  during  dinner  was  desultory  ;  but  after  the 
first  bottle,  Atkinson  became  communicative,  and  his  history 
not  only  made  me  feel  better  inclined  towards  him,  but  afforded 
me  another  instance,  as  well  as  Carbonnell's,  how  often  it  is 
that  those  who  would  have  done  well  are  first  plundered,  and 
then  driven  to  desperation  by  the  heartlessness  of  the  world- 
The  cases,  however,  had  this  difference,  that  Carbonnell  had 
always  contrived  to  keep  his  reputation  above  water,  while  that 
of  Atkinson  was  gone,  and  never  to  be  re-established.  We  had 
just  finished  our  wine  when  a  note  was  brought  from  Harcourt, 
informing  me  that  he  should  send  a  friend  the  next  morning  for 
an  explanation  of  my  conduct.  I  handed  it  over  to  Atkinson. 
"  My  dear  sir,  I  am  at  your  service,"  replied  he,  "  without 
you  have  any  body  among  your  acquaintances  whom  you  may 
prefer." 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  I,  "  Captain  Atkinson  :  it  cannot  be  It 
better  hands." 

"  That  is  settled,  then  ;  and  now  where  shall  we  go  V 

"  Wherever  you  please." 


268  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Then  I  shall  try  if  I  can  win  a  little  money  to-night :  if  yon 
come  you  need  not  play — you  can  look  on.  It  will  serve  to 
divert  your  thoughts,  at  all  events." 

I  felt  so  anxious  to  avoid  reflection,  that  I  immediately 
accepted  his  offer  ;  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  we  were  in  the  well- 
lighted  room,  and  in  front  of  the  rouge  et  noir  table,  covered 
with  gold  and  bank  notes.  Atkinson  did  not  commence  his 
play  immediately,  but  pricked  the  chances  on  a  card  as  they 
ran.  After  half  an  hour  he  laid  down  his  stakes,  and  was 
fortunate.  I  could  no  longer  withstand  the  temptation,  and 
I  backed  him  ;  in  less  than  an  hour  we  both  had  won  con- 
siderably." 

"  That  is  enough,"  said  he  to  me,  sweeping  up  his  money  ; 
"  we  must  not  try  the  slippery  dame  too  long." 

I  followed  his  example,  and  shortly  afterwards  we  quitted  the 
house.  "  I  will  walk  home  with  you,  Newland  :  never,  if  you 
can  help  it,  especially  if  you  have  been  a  winner,  leave  a  gaming 
house  alone." 

Going  home,  I  asked  Atkinson  if  he  would  come  up  ;  he 
did  so,  and  then  we  examined  our  winnings.  "  I  know  mine," 
replied  he,  "  within  twenty  pounds,  for  I  always  leave  off  at 
a  certain  point.  I  have  three  hundred  pounds,  and  something 
more." 

He  had  won  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds.  I  had 
won  ninety  pounds.  As  we  sat  over  a  glass  of  brandy  and 
water,  I  inquired  whether  he  was  always  fortunate.  "  No 
of  course  I  am  not,"  replied  Atkinson  ;  "  but  on  the  whole 
in  the  course  of  the  year,  I  am  a  winner  of  sufficient  to  support 
myself." 

"  Is  there  any  rule  by  which  people  are  guided  who  play  ? 
I  observed  many  of  those  who  were  seated  pricking  the  chances 
with  gieat  care,  and  then  staking  their  money  at  intervals." 

"Rtnigt.  et  noir  I  believe  to  be  the  fairest  of  all  games," 
replied  Atkinson  ;  "  but  where  there  is  a  per  centage  invariably 
in  favour  of  the  bank,  although  one  may  win  and  another  lose, 
still  the  profits  must  be  in  favour  of  the  bank.  If  a  man  were 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  269 

DO  play  all  the  year  round,  he  would  lose  the  national  debt  in 
the  end.  As  for  martingales,  and  all  those  calculations,  which 
you  observed  them  so  busy  with,  they  are  all  useless.  I  have 
tried  everything,  and  there  is  only  one  chance  of  success,  but 
then  you  must  not  be  a  gambler." 

"Not  a  gambler ?" 

"  No  ;  you  must  not  be  carried  away  by  the  excitement  of 
the  game,  or  you  will  infallibly  lose.  You  must  have  a 
strength  of  mind  which  few  have,  or  you  will  be  soon  cleaned 
out." 

"  But  you  say  that  you  win  on  the  whole  :  have  you  no  rule 
to  guide  you  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  have  :  strange  as  the  chances  are,  I  have  been  so 
accustomed  to  them,  that  I  generally  put  down  my  stake  right : 
when  I  am  once  in  a  run  of  luck,  I  have  a  method  of  my  own, 
but  what  it  is  I  cannot  tell ;  only  this  I  know,  that  if  I  depart 
from  it  I  always  lose  my  money.  But  that  is  what  you  may 
call  good  luck,  or  what  you  please — it  is  not  a  rule." 

"  Where,  then,  are  your  rules  ?" 

"  Simply  these  two.  The  first  it  is  not  difficult  to  adhere 
to :  I  make  a  rule  never  to  lose  but  a  certain  sum  if  I  am 
unlucky  when  I  commence — say  twenty  stakes,  whatever  may 
be  the  amount  of  the  stake  that  you  play.  This  rule  is  easily 
adhered  to,  by  not  taking  more  money  with  you  ;  and  I  am  not 
one  of  those  to  whom  the  croupier  or  porters  will  lend  money. 
The  second  rule  is  the  most  difficult,  and  decider  whether  you 
are  a  gambler  or  not.  I  make  a  rule  always  to  It  ave  off  when 
I  have  won  a  certain  sum — or  even  before,  if  the  chances  of  my 
game  fluctuate.  There  is  the  difficulty  :  it  appears  very  foolish 
not  to  follow  up  luck  ;  but  the  fact  is,  fortune  is  so  capricious, 
that  if  you  trust  her  more  than  an  hour,  she  will  desert  you. 
This  is  my  mode' of  play,  and  with  me  it  answers  ;  but  it  does 
not  follow  that  it  would  answer  with  another.  But  it  is  very 
late,  or  rather,  very  early — I  wish  you  a  good  nii^ht." 


270  JAPHET  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 


CHAPTER  LIII. 

/  BECOME  PRINCIPAL  INSTEAD  OF  SECOND  IN  A  DUEL,  AND  RISK  MY 
OWN  AND  ANOTHER'S  LIFE,  MY  OWN  AND  OTHERS'  HAPPINESS  AND 
PEACE  OF  MIND,  BECAUSE  I  HAVE  BEEN  PUNISHED  AS  I  DESERVED 

AFTER  Captain  Atkinson  had  left  me,  I  stated  to  Timothy  what 
had  passed.  "  And  do  you  think  you  will  have  to  fight  a  dnel, 
sir  ?"  cried  Timothy,  with  alarm. 

"  There  is  no  donbt  of  it,"  replied  I. 

"You  never  will  find  your  father,  sir,  if  you  go  on  this 
way,"  said  Timothy,  as  if  to  divert  my  attention  from  such  a 
purpose. 

"  Not  in  this  world,  perhaps,  Tim  ;  perhaps  I  may  be  sent 
the  right  road  by  a  bullet,  and  find  him  in  the  next." 

"  Do  you  think  your  father,  if  dead,  has  gone  to  heaven  ?" 

"  I  hope  so,  Timothy." 

"  Then  what  chance  have  you  of  meeting  him,  if  you  go  out 
of  the  world  attempting  the  life  of  your  old  friend  ?" 

"  That  is  what  you  call  a  poser,  my  dear  Timothy,  but  I  can- 
not help  myself :  this  I  can  safely  say,  that  I  have  no  animosity 
against  Mr.  Harcourt — at  least,  not  sufficient  to  have  any  wish 
to  take  away  his  life." 

"  Well,  that's  something,  to  be  sure  ;  but  do  you  know, 
Japhet,  I'm  not  quite  sure  you  hit  the  right  road  when  you  set 
up  for  a  gentleman." 

"  No,  Timothy,  no  man  can  be  in  the  right  road  who 
deceives  :  I  have  been  all  wrong,  and  I  am  afraid  I  am  going 
from  worse  to  worse  ;  but  I  cannot  moralize,  I  must  go  to 
sleep,  and  forget  everything  if  I  can." 

The  next  morning,  about  eleven  o'clock,  a  Mr.  Cotgrave 
called  upon  me  on  the  part  of  Harcourt.  I  referred  him  to 
Captain  Atkinson,  and  he  bowed  and  quitted  the  room.  Cap- 
tain Atkinson  soon  called  :  he  had  remained  at  home  expecting 
the  message,  and  had  made  every  arrangement  with  the  second 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER  271 

He  stayed  with  me  the  whole  day.  The  major's  pistols  were 
examined  and  approved  of.  We  dined,  drank  freely,  and  he 
afterwards  proposed  that  I  should  accompany  him  to  one  of 
the  hells,  as  they  are  cJJ«d.  This  I  refused,  as  I  had  some 
arrangements  to  make ;  and  as  «oon  as  he  was  gone  I  sent  for 
Timothy.  •"JS^ 

"  Tun,"  said  I,  "  if  I  should  be  ue'.ucKy  &>-morrow,  you  are 
my  executor  and  residuary  legatee.     My  will  was" 
in  Dublin,  and  is  hi  the  charge  of  Mr.  Cophagus." 

"  Japhet,  I  hope  you  will  allow  me  one  favour,  which  is,  to 
go  to  the  ground  with  you.  I  had  rather  be  there  than  remain 
hers  in  suspense." 

"  Of  course,  my  dear  fellow,  if  you  wish  it,"  replied  I;  "but 
1  rc.u3t  go  to  bed,  as  I  am  to  be  called  at  four  o'clock — so  let's 
have  no  sentimentalising  or  sermonising.  Good  night,  God 
bless  you." 

I  was,  at  that  tune,  in  a  state  of  mind  which  made  me  reck- 
less of  life  or  of  consequences;  stung  by  the  treatment  which  I 
received,  mad  with  the  world's  contumely,  I  was  desperate. 
True  it  was,  as  Mr.  Masterton  said,  I  had  not  courage  to  buffet 
against  an  adverse  gale.  Timothy  did  not  go  to  bed,  and  at 
four  o'clock  was  at  my  side.  I  rose,  dressed  myself  with  the 
greatest  care,  and  was  soon  joined  by  Captain  Atkinson.  We 
then  set  off  hi  a  hackney-coach  to  the  same  spot  to  which  I  had, 
but  a  few  months  before,  driven  with  poor  Carbonnell.  His 
memory  and  his  death  came  like  a  cloud  over  my  mind,  but  it 
was  but  for  a  moment.  I  cared  little  for  life.  Harcourt  and 
his  second  were  on  the  ground  a  few  minutes  before  us.  Each 
party  saluted  politely,  and  the  seconds  proceeded  to  business. 
We  fired,  and  Harcourt  fell,  with  a  bullet  above  his  knee.  I 
went  up  to  him,  and  he  extended  his  hand.  "  Newland,"  said 
he,  "  I  have  deserved  this.  I  was  a  coward,  in  the  first  place, 
to  desert  you  as  I  did — and  a  coward,  in  the  second,  to  fire  at 
a  man  whom  I  had  injured.  Gentlemen,"  continued  he,  appeal- 
ing to  the  seconds,  "  recollect,  I,  before  you,  acquit  Mr 
Newland  of  all  blame,  and  desire,  if  any  further  accident  should 


272  JAPHET,    IN   SEARCH   OF   A    FATTIER. 

happen  to  me,  that  my  relations  will  take  no  steps  whatevei 
against  him." 

Harcourt  was  very  pale,  and  bleeding  fast.  Without  any 
answer  I  examined  the  wound,  and  T-dhnd,  by  the  colour  of  the 
blood,  and  its  gushing,  that  an  artery  had  been  divided.  My 
professional  knowledge  <  <i  ,*Gd  his  life.  I  compressed  the  artery, 
while  I  gave  d'"  i<7/ons  to  the  others.  A  handkerchief  was  tied 
^"d,t  .otfn3  his  thigh,  above  the  wound — a  round  stone  selected, 
and  placed  under  the  handkerchief,  in  the  femoral  groove,  and 
the  ramrod  of  one  of  the  pistols  then  made  use  of  as  a  winch, 
until  the  whole  acted  as  a  tourniquet.  I  removed  my  thumbs, 
found  that  the  hemorrhage  was  stopped,  and  then  directed  that 
he  should  be  taken  home  on  a  door,  and  surgical  assistance  im- 
mediately sent  for. 

"  You  appear  to  understand  these  things,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Cot- 
grave.  "  Tell  me,  is  there  any  danger  ?" 

"  He  must  suffer  amputation,"  replied  I,  in  a  low  voice,  so 
that  Harcourt  could  not  hear  me.  "  Pray  watch  the  tourni- 
quet carefully  as  he  is  taken  home,  for  should  it  slip  it  will  be 
fatal." 

I  then  bowed  to  Mr.  Cotgrave,  and,  followed  by  Captain 
Atkinson,  stepped  into  the  hackney-coach  and  drove  home.  "  I 
will  leave  you  now,  Newland,"  said  Captain  Atkinson;  "it  is 
necessary  that  I  talk  this  matter  over,  so  that  it  is  properly 
explained." 

I  thanked  Captain  Atkinson  for  his  services,  and  was  left 
alone,  for  I  had  sent  Timothy  to  ascertain  if  Harcourt  had 
arrived  safe  at  his  lodgings.  Never  did  I  feel  more  miserable; 
my  anxiety  for  Harcourt  was  indescribable;  true,  he  had  not 
treated  me  well,  but  I  thought  of  his  venerable  father,  who 
pressed  my  hand  so  warmly  when  I  left  his  hospitable  roof — of 
bis  lovely  sisters,  and  the  kindness  and  affection  which  they 
had  shown  towards  me,  and  our  extreme  intimacy.  I  thought 
of  the  pain  which  the  intelligence  would  give  them,  and  their 
indignation  towards  me,  when  their  brother  first  made  his  ap- 
pearance at  his  father's  house,  mutilated;  and  were  he  to  die- 


JAPHJST,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  273 

good  God  I  I  was  maddened  at  the  idea.  I  had  uow  undone 
the  little  good  I  had  been  able  to  do.  If  I  had  made  Fleta 
and  her  mother  happy,  had  I  not  plunged  another  family  into 
misery  ? 


CHAPTER   LIT 

THIS  IS  A  STRANGE  WORLD  ;    I  AM  CUT  BT  A  MAN    OF  NO  CHARACTER, 
BECAUSE  HE  IS  FEARFUL  THAT  I  SHOULD  INJURE  HIS  CHARACTER. 

TIMOTHY  returned,  and  brought  me  consolation — the  bleeding 
had  not  re-commenced,  and  Harcourt  was  in  tolerable  spirits 
An  eminent  surgeon  had  been  sent  for.  "  Go  again,  my  dear 
Timothy,  and  as  you  are  intimate  with  Harcourt's  servant,  you 
will  be  able  to  find  out  what  they  are  about." 

Timothy  departed,  and  was  absent  about  an  hour,  during 
which  I  lay  on  the  sofa,  and  groaned  with  anguish.  When  he 
returned,  I  knew  by  his  face  that  his  intelligence  was  favour- 
able. 

"All's  right,"  cried  Timothy  ;  "no  amputation  after  all.  It 
was  only  one  of  the  smaller  arteries  which  was  severed,  and 
they  have  taken  it  up." 

I  sprang  up  from  the  sofa  and  embraced  Timothy,  so  happy 
was  I  with  the  intelligence,  and  then  I  sat  down  again,  and 
cried  like  a  child.  At  last  I  became  more  composed.  I  had 
asked  Captain  Atkinson  to  dine  with  me,  and  was  very  glad 
when  he  came.  He  confirmed  Timothy's  report,  and  I  was  so 
overjoyed,  that  I  sat  late  at  dinner,  drinking  very  freely,  and 
when  he  again  proposed  that  we  should  go  to  the  rouge  et  nair 
table,  I  did  not  refuse — on  the  contrary,  flushed  with  wine,  I 
was  anxious  to  go,  and  took  all  the  money  that  I  had  with  me. 
OQ  our  arrival  Atkinson  played,  but  finding  that  he  was  not 
fortunate,  he  very  soon  left  off.  As  I  had  followed  his  game,  I 
also  had  lost  considerably,  and  he  entreated  me  not  to  play  any 


274  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

more — bat  /  was  a  gamester,  it  appeared,  and  I  would  not  pay 
attention  to  him,  and  did  not  quit  the  table  until  I  had  lost 
every  shilling  in  my  pocket.  I  left  the  house  in  no  very  good 
humour,  and  Atkinson,  who  had  waited  for  me,  accompanied 
me  home. 

"  Newland,"  said  he,  "  I  don't  know  what  you  may  think  of 
tte — you  may  have  heard  that  I'm  a  roue,  &c.,  <fec.,  &c.,  but 
this  I  always  do,  which  is,  caution  those  who  are  gamesters  from 
their  hearts.  I  have  watched  you  to-night,  and  I  tell  you,  that 
you  will  be  ruined  if  you  continue  to  frequent  that  table.  You 
have  no  command  over  yourself.  I  do  not  know  what  your 
means  may  be,  but  this  I  do  know,  that  if  you  were  a  Croesus, 
you  will  be  a  beggar.  I  cared  nothing  for  you  while  you  were 
the  Mr.  Newland,  the  admired,  and  leader  of  the  fashion  ;  but 
I  felt  for  you  when  I  heard  that  you  were  scouted  from  society, 
merely  because  it  was  found  out  that  you  were  not  so  rich  as 
you  were  supposed  to  be.  I  had  a  fellow  feeling,  as  I  told  you, 
I  did  not  make  your  acquaintance  to  win  your  money — I  can 
win  as  much  as  I  wish  from  the  scoundrels  who  keep  the  tables, 
or  from  those  who  would  not  scruple  to  plunder  others  ;  and  I 
now  entreat  you  not  to  return  to  that  place — and  am  sorry, 
very  sorry,  that  ever  I  took  you  there.  To  me,  the  excitement 
is  nothing — to  you  it  is  overpowering.  You  are  a  gamester,  or 
rather,  you  have  it  in  your  disposition.  Take,  therefore,  the 
advice  of  a  friend,  if  I  may  so  call  myself,  and  do  not  go  there 
again.  I  hope  you  are  not  seriously  inconvenienced  by  what 
you  have  lost  to-night." 

"  Not  the  least,"  replied  I.  "  It  was  ready  money.  I  thank 
you  for  your  advice,  and  will  follow  it.  I  have  been  a  fooJ  tc 
night,  and  one  folly  is  sufficient." 

Atkinson  then  left  me.  I  had  lost  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  which  included  my  winnings  of  the  night  before. 
I  was  annoyed  at  it,  but  I  thought  of  Harcourt's  safety,  and 
I  felt  indifferent.  The  reader  may  recollect,  that  I  had  three 
thousand  pounds,  which  Mr.  Masterton  had  offered  to  put  out 
to  mortgage  for  me,  but  until  he  could  find  an  opportunity,  by 


JAPH.ET,    IN   SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  275 

his  advke  I  had  bought  stock  in  the  three  per  cents.  Since 
that  time  he  had  not  succeeded,  as  mortgages  in  general  are  for 
larger  sums,  and  it  had  therefore  remained.  My  rents  were 
not  yet  due,  and  I  was  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  this  money. 
I  therefore  went  into  the  city,  and  ordered  the  broker  to  sell 
out  two  hundred  pounds,  intending  to  replace  it  as  soon  as  I 
could — for  I  would  not  have  liked  that  Mr.  Masterton  should 
have  known  that  I  had  lost  money  by  gambling.  When  I  re- 
turned from  the  city,  I  found  Captain  Atkinson  in  my  apart- 
ments, waiting  for  me. 

"Harcourt  is  doing  well,  and  you  are  not  doing  badly.  I 
have  let  all  the  world  know  that  you  intend  to  call  out  whoever 
presumes  to  treat  you  with  indifference." 

"  The  devil  you  have  !  but  that  is  a  threat  which  may  easier 
be  made  than  followed  up  by  deeds." 

"  Shoot  two  or  three  more,"  replied  Atkinson,  coolly,  "  and 
then,  depend  upon  it,  you'll  have  it  all  your  own  way.  As 
it  is,  I  acknowledge  there  has  been  some  show  of  resistance, 
and  they  talk  of  making  a  resolution  not  to  meet  you,  on  the 
score  of  your  being  an  impostor." 

"  And  a  very  plausible  reason  too,"  replied  I  ;  "  nor  do  I 
think  I  have  any  right — I  am  sure  I  have  no  intention  of 
doing  as  you  propose,  Surely  people  have  a  right  to  choose 
their  acquaintance,  and  to  cut  me,  if  they  think  I  have  done 
wrong.  I  am  afraid,  Captain  Atkinson,  you  have  mistaken 
me  ;  I  have  punished  Harcourt  for  his  conduct  towards  me — 
he  deserved  punishment.  I  had  claims  on  him  ;  but  I  have 
not  upon  the  hundreds,  whom,  when  in  the  zenith  of  my 
popularity,  I,  myself,  perhaps,  was  not  overcourteous  to.  I 
cannot  run  the.  muck  which  you  propose,  nor  do  I  consider 
that  I  shall  help  my  character  by  so  doing.  I  may  become 
notorious,  but  certainly,  I  shall  not  obtain  that  species  of 
notoriety  which  will  be  of  service  to  me.  No,  no  ;  I  have 
done  too  much,  I  may  say,  already  ;  and,  although  not  so 
much  to  blame  as  the  world  imagines,  yet  my  own  conscience 
tells  me,  that  by  allowing  it  to  suppose  that  I  was  what  I  wan 


276  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER. 

not,  I  have,  to  say  the  least,  been  a  party  to  the  fraud,  and 
must  take  the  consequence.  My  situation  now  is  very  un- 
pleasant, and  I  ought  to  retire,  and,  if  possible,  re-appear 
with  real  claims  upon  the  public  favour.  I  have  still  friends, 
thank  God  !  and  influential  friends.  I  am  offered  a  writership 
in  India — a  commission  in  the  army — or  to  study  the  law. 
Will  you  favour  me  with  your  opinion  ?" 

"You  pay  me  a  compliment  by  asking  my  advice.  A  writer- 
ship  in  India  is  fourteen  yean/  transportation,  returning  with 
plenty  to  live  on,  but  no  health  to  enjoy  it.  In  the  army  you 
might  do  well,  and,  moreover,  as  an  officer  in  the  army,  none 
dare  refuse  to  go  out  with  you.  At  the  same  time,  under 
your  peculiar  circumstances,  I  think  J  you  were  in  a  crack 
regiment,  you  would,  in  all  probability,  have  to  fight  one  half 
the  mess,  and  be  put  in  Coventry  by  the  other.  You  must 
then  exchange  on  half-pay,  and  your  commission  would  be 
a  great  help  to  you.  As  for  the  law — I'd  sooner  see  a  brother 
of  mine  in  his  coffin.  There,  you  have  my  opinion." 

"  Not  a  very  encouraging  one  at  all  events,"  replied  I, 
laughing,  "  but  there  is  much  truth  in  your  observations.  To 
India  I  will  not  go,  as  it  will  interfere  with  the  great  object  of 
my  existence." 

"  And  pray,  if  it  be  no  secret,  may  I  ask  what  that  is  ?" 

"  To  find  out  who  is  my  father." 

Captain  Atkinson  looked  very  hard  at  me.  "I  more  than 
once,"  said  he,  "  have  thought  you  a  little  cracked,  but  now 
I  perceive  you  are  mad — downright  mad :  don't  be  angry,  I 
couldn't  help  saying  so,  and  if  you  wish  me  to  give  you  satis 
faction,  I  shall  most  unwillingly  oblige  you." 

"  No,  no,  Atkinson,  I  believe  you  are  not  very  far  wrong, 
end  I  forgive  you — but  to  proceed.  The  army,  as  you  say, 
will  give  me  a  position  in  society,  from  my  profession  being 
that  of  a  gentleman,  but,  as  I  do  not  wish  to  take  the  advan- 
tage which  you  have  suggested  from  the  position,  I  shrink 
from  putting  myself  into  one  which  may  lead  to  much  morti- 
fication. As  for  the  law,  although  I  do  not  exactly  agree 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          277 

with  you  in  your  abhorrence  of  the  profession,  yet  1  must 
say,  that  I  do  not  like  the  idea.  I  have  been  rendered  unfit 
for  it  by  my  life  up  to  the  present.  But  I  am  permitted  to 
select  any  other." 

"  Without  wishing  to  pry  into  your  affairs,  have  you  sufficient 
to  live  upon  ?" 

"  Yes,  in  a  moderate  way  ;  about  a  younger  brother's  por- 
tion, which  will  just  keep  me  in  gloves,  cigars,  and  cen  de 
cologne." 

"  Then  take  my  advice  and  be  nothing.  The  only  difference 
I  can  see  between  a  gentleman  and  any  body  else,  is  that  one 
is  idle  and  the  other  works  hard.  One  is  a  useless,  and  the 
other  a  useful,  member  of  society.  Such  is  the  absurdity  of  the 
opinions  of  the  world." 

"  Yes,  I  agree  with  you,  and  would  prefer  being  a  gentle- 
man in  that  respect,  and  do  nothing,  if  they  would  admit  me  in 
every  other  ;  but  that  they  will  not  do.  I  am  in  an  unfortu- 
nate position." 

"  And  will  be  until  your  feelings  become  blunted  as  mine 
have  been,"  replied  Atkinson.  "  Had  you  acquiesced  in  my 
proposal  you  would  have  done  better.  As  it  is,  I  can  be  of  nr 
use  to  you  ;  nay,  without  intending  an  affront,  I  do  not  know 
if  we  ought  to  be  seen  together,  for  your  decision  not  to  fighi 
your  way  is  rather  awkward,  as  I  cannot  back  one  with  my 
tupport  who  will  not  do  credit  to  it.  Do  not  be  angry  at  what 
I  say  ;  you  are  your  own  master,  and  have  a  right  to  decide 
for  yourself.  If  yon  think  yourself  not  so  wholly  lost  as  to  be 
able  eventually  to  recover  yourself  by  other  means,  I  do  not 
blame  you,  as  I  know  it  is  only  from  an  error  in  judgment,  and 
not  from  want  of  courage." 

'•  At  present  I  am,  I  acknowledge,  lost,  Captain  Atkinson  ; 
but  if  I  succeed  in  finding  my  father " 

"  Good  morning,  Newland,  good  morning,"  replied  he, 
nastily.  "  I  see  how  it  is  ;  of  course  we  shall  be  civil  to  each 
other  when  we  meet,  for  I  wish  you  well,  but  we  must  not  be 
seen  together,  or  you  may  injure  my  character." 


278  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  JF  A  FATHER. 

" Injure  your  character,  Captain  Atkinson?" 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Newland,  injure  my  character.  I  do  not  mean 
to  say  but  that  there  are  characters  more  respectable,  but  I 
have  a  character  which  suits  me,  and  it  has  the  merit  of  con- 
sistency. As  you  are  not  prepared,  as  the  Americans  say,  to 
go  the  whole  hog,  we  will  part  good  friends,  and  if  I  have  said 
any  thing  to  annoy  you,  I  beg  your  pardon." 

"  Good-by,  then,  Captain  Atkinson  ;  for  the  kindness  you 
have  shown  me  I  am  grateful."  He  shook  my  hand,  and 
walked  out  of  the  room.  "  And  for  having  thus  broken  up  our 
acquaintance,  more  grateful  still,"  thought  I,  as  he  went  down 
stairs. 


CHAPTER  LY. 

1  CUT  MY  NEW  ACQUAINTANCE,  BUT  HIS  COMPANY,  EVEN  IN  SO  SHORT 

A   TIME,  PROVES    MY    RUIN NOTWITHSTANDING  I    PART    WITH    ALL 

MY  PROPERTY,  I  RETAIN  MY  HONESTY. 

IN  the  mean  time,  the  particulars  of  the  duel  had  found  their 
way  into  the  papers,  with  various  comments,  but  none  of  them 
very  flattering  to  me  ;  and  I  received  a  note  from  Mr.  Master- 
ton,  who,  deceived  by  the  representations  of  that  class  of  peo- 
ple who  cater  for  newspapers,  and  who  are  but  too  glad  to  pull, 
if  they  possibly  can,  every  one  to  their  own  level,  strongly 
animadverted  upon  my  conduct,  and  pointed  out  the  folly  of  it ; 
adding,  that  Lord  Windermear  wholly  coincided  with  him  in 
opinion,  and  had  desired  him  to  express  his  displeasure.  He 
concluded  by  observing,  "  I  consider  this  to  be  the  most  serious 
false  step  which  you  have  hitherto  made.  Because  you  have 
been  a  party  to  deceiving  the  public,  and  because  one  indivi- 
dual, who  had  no  objection  to  be  intimate  with  a  young  man 
of  fashion,  station,  and  affluence,  does  not  wish  to  continue  the 
acquaintance  with  one  of  unknown  birth  and  no  fortune,  you 
consider  yourself  justified  in  taking  his  life.  Upon  this  principle, 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  219 

all  society  is  at  an  end,  all  distinctions  levelled,  and  the  rule  of  the 
gladiator  will  only  be  overthrown  by  the  stiletto  of  the  assassin." 

I  was  but  ill  prepared  to  receive  this  letter.  I  had  been 
deeply  thinking  upon  the  kind  offers  of  Lord  Windermear,  and 
had  felt  that  they  would  interfere  with  the  primum  mobile  of  my 
existence,  and  I  was  reflecting  by  what  means  I  could  evade 
their  kind  intentions,  and  be  at  liberty  to  follow  my  own  incli- 
nations, when  this  note  arrived.  To  me  it  appeared  to  be  the 
height  of  injustice.  I  had  been  arraigned  and  found  guilty 
npon  an  ex-parte  statement.  I  forgot,  at  the  time,  that  it  was 
my  duty  to  have  immediately  proceeded  to  Mr.  Masterton,  and 
have  fully  explained  the  facts  of  the  case  ;  and  that,  by  not 
having  so  done,  I  left  the  natural  impression  that  I  had  no 
defence  to  offer.  I  forgot  all  this,  still  I  was  myself  to  blame 
— I  only  saw  that  the  letter  in  itself  was  unkind  and  unjust — 
and  my  feelings  were  those  of  resentment.  What  right  have 
Lord  Windermear  and  Mr.  Masterton  thus  to  school  and  to 
insult  me  ?  The  right  of  obligations  conferred.  But  is  not 
Lord  Windermear  under  obligations  to  me  !  Have  I  not 
preserved  his  secret  ?  Yes  ;  but  how  did  I  obtain  possession 
of  it?  By  so  doing,  I  was  only  making  reparation  for  an 
act  of  treachery.  Well,  then,  at  all  events,  I  have  a  right 
to  be  independent  of  them,  if  I  please — any  one  has  a  right 
to  assert  his  independence  if  he  chooses.  Their  offers  of 
service  only  would  shackle  me,  if  I  accepted  of  their  assistance. 
I  will  have  none  of  them.  Such  were  my  reflections  ;  and  the 
reader  must  perceive  that  I  was  influenced  by  a  state  of  mor- 
bid irritability — a  sense  of  abandonment  which  prostrated  me. 
I  felt  that  I  was  an  isolated  being  without  a  tic  in  the  whole 
world.  I  determined  to  spurn  the  world  as  it  had  spurned  me. 
To  Timothy  I  would  hardly  speak  a  word.  I  lay  with  an  ach- 
ing head,  aching  from  increased  circulation.  I  was  mad,  or 
nearly  so.  I  opened  the  case  of  pistols,  and  thought  of  suicide 
— reflection  alone  restrained  me.  I  could  not  abandon  the 
search  after  my  father. 

Feverish  and  impatient,  I  wished  to  walk  out,  but  I  (land 


280  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

not  meet  the  public  eye.  I  waited  till  dark,  and  then  I  sallied 
forth,  hardly  knowing  where  I  went.  I  passed  the  gaming 
house — I  did  pass  it,  but  I  returned  and  lost  every  shilling  ; 
not,  however,  till  the  fluctuations  of  the  game  had  persuaded  me 
that  had  I  bad  more  money  to  carry  it  on,  I  should  have  won. 

I  went  to  bed,  but  not  to  sleep  ;  I  thought  of  how  I  had 
l>een  caressed  and  admired,  when  I  was  supposed  to  be  rich. 
Of  what  use  then  was  the  money  I  possessed  ?  Little  or  none. 
I  made  up  my  mind  that  I  would  either  gain  a  fortune,  or  lose 
that  which  I  had.  The  next  morning  I  went  into  the  city,  and 
sold  out  all  the  remaining  stock.  To  Timothy  I  had  not  com- 
municated my  intentions.  I  studiously  avoided  speaking  to 
him  :  he  felt  hurt  at  my  conduct,  I  perceived,  but  I  was  afraid 
of  his  advice  and  expostulation. 

At  night-fall  I  returned  to  the  hell — played  with  various  suc- 
cess ;  at  one  time  was  a  winner  of  three  times  my  capital,  and 
I  ended  at  last  with  my  pockets  being  empty.  I  was  indifferent 
when  it  was  all  gone,  although  in  the  highest  state  of  excite- 
ment while  the  chances  were  turning  up. 

The  next  day  I  went  to  a  house-agent,  and  stated  my  wish 
to  sell  my  house,  for  I  was  resolved  to  try  fortune  to  the  last. 
The  agent  undertook  to  find  a  ready  purchaser,  and  I  begged 
an  advance,  which  he  made,  and  continued  to  make,  until  he 
had  advanced  nearly  half  the  value.  He  then  found  a  pur- 
chaser (himself,  as  I  believe)  at  two-thirds  of  its  value.  I  did 
not  hesitate,  I  had  lost  every  advance,  one  after  another,  and 
was  anxious  to  retrieve  my  fortune  or  be  a  beggar.  I  signed 
the  conveyance  and  received  the  balance,  fifteen  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  and  returned  to  the  apartments,  no  longer  mine, 
about  an  hour  before  dinner.  I  called  Timothy,  and  ascertain- 
mg  the  amount  of  bills  due,  gave  him  fifty  pounds,  which  left 
him  about  fifteen  pounds  as  a  residue.  I  then  sat  down  to  my 
solitary  meal,  but  just  as  I  commenced  I  heard  a  dispute  in  the 
passage. 

"  What  is  that,  Timothy  ?"  cried  I,  for  I  was  nervous  to  a 
degree. 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATffER.  281 

"  It's  that  fellow  Emmanuel,  sir,  who  says  that  he  will  come 
ap." 

"  Yesh,  I  vill  go  up,  sar." 

"  Let  him  come,  Timothy,"  replied  I.  Accordingly  Mr. 
Emmanuel  ascended.  "  Well,  Emmanuel,  what  do  you  want 
with  me  ?"  said  I,  looking  with  contempt  at  the  miserable  crea- 
ture who  entered  as  before,  with  his  body  bent  double,  and  his 
hand  lying  over  his  back. 

"I  vash  a  little  out  of  breath,  Mr.  Newland — I  vash  come  tc 
Bay  dat  de  monish  is  very  scarce — dat  I  vill  accept  your  offer, 
and  vill  take  de  hundred  pounds  and  my  tousand  which  I  have 
lent  you.  You  too  much  gentleman  not  to  help  a  poor  old 
man,  ven  he  ish  in  distress." 

"  Rather  say,  Mr.  Emmanuel,  that  you  have  heard  that  I 
have  not  ten  thousand  pound  per  annum,  and  that  you  are 
afraid  that  you  have  lost  your  money." 

"  Loshe  my  monish  ! — no — loshe  my  tousand  pound  1  Did 
you  not  say,  dat  you  would  pay  it  back  to  me,  and  give  me 
hundred  pounds  for  my  trouble  ;  dat  vash  de  last  arrange- 
ment." 

"  Yes,  but  you  refused  to  take  it,  so  it  is  not  my  fault.  Yon 
must  now  stick  to  the  first,  which  is  to  receive  fifteen  hundred 
pounds  when  I  come  into  my  fortune." 

"  Your  fortune,  but  you  av  no  fortune." 

"  I  am  afraid  not ;  and  recollect,  Mr.  Emanuel,  that  I  never 
told  you  that  I  had." 

"  Vill  you  pay  me  my  monish,  Mr.  Newland,  or  vill  you  go 
to  prison  r" 

"  You  can't  put  me  in  prison  for  an  agreement,"  replied  I 

"  No  ;  but  I  can  prosecute  you  for  a  swindler." 

"  No,  you  confounded  old  rascal,  you  cannot ;  try,  and  do 
your  worst,"  cried  I,  enraged  at  the  word  swindler. 

"  Veil,  Mr.  Newland,  if  you  have  not  de  ten  tousand  a  year, 
you  have  de  house  and  de  monish  ;  you  vill  not  cheat  a  poor 
man  like  me." 

14 1  ha?e  sold  my  house." 


282  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  You  have  sold  de  house — den  you  have  neither  de  house 
nor  de  monish.  Oh  !  my  monish,  my  monish  !  Sare,  Mr. 

Newland,  you  are  one  d d  rascal ;"  and  the  old  wretch's 

frame  quivered  with  emotion;  his  hand  behind  his  back  shaking 
as  much  as  the  other  which,  in  his  rage,  he  shook  in  my  face. 

Enraged  myself  at  being  called  such  an  opprobrious  term,  I 
opened  the  door,  twisted  him  round,  and  applying  my  foot  to 
a  nameless  part,  he  flew  out  and  fell  down  the  stairs,  at  the 
turning  of  which  he  lay,  groaning  in  pain. 

"  Mine  Got,  mine  Got,  I  am  murdered,"  cried  he  "  Fader 
Abraham,  receive  me."  My  rage  was  appeased,  and  I  turned 
pale  at  the  idea  of  having  killed  the  poor  wretch.  With  the 
assistance  of  Timothy,  whom  I  summoned,  we  dragged  the  old 
man  up  stairs,  and  placed  him  in  a  chair,  and  found  that  he 
was  not  very  much  hurt.  A  glass  of  wine  was  given  to  him, 
and  then,  as  soon  as  he  could  speak,  his  ruling  passion  broke 
out  again.  "  Mishter  Newland — ah,  Mish-ter  New-land,  can- 
not you  give  me  my  monish — cannot  you  give  me  de  tousand 
pound,  without  de  interest  ?  you  are  very  welcome  to  de  inte- 
rest. I  only  lend  it  to  oblige  you." 

"How  can  you  expect  a  d d  rascal  to  do  any  such 

thing  ?"  replied  I. 

"  D d  rascal !  Ah  !  it  vash  I  who  vash  a  rascal,  and 

vash  a  fool  to  say  the  word.  Mishter  Newland,  you  vash  a 
gentleman,  you  vill  pay  me  my  monish.  You  vill  pay  me  part 
of  my  monish.  I  have  de  agreement  in  my  pocket,  all  ready 
to  give  up." 

"  If  I  have  not  the  money,  how  can  I  pay  you  ?" 

"Fader  Abraham,  if  you  have  not  de  monish — you  must 
have  some  monish  ;  den  you  will  pay  me  a  part.  How  much 
rill  you  pay  me  ?" 

"  Will  you  take  five  hundred  pounds,  and  return  the  agree- 
ment ?" 

"  Five  hundred  pounds — lose  half — oh  I  Mr.  Newland — it 
was  all  lent  in  monish,  not  in  goods  ;  you  will  not  make  mo 
lose  so  much  as  dat  ?" 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  283 

"  I'm  not  sure  that  I  will  give  you  five  hundred  pounds  ; 
your  bond  is  not  worth  two-pence,  and  you  know  it." 

"  Your  honour,  Mr.  Newland,  is  worth  more  dan  ten  tou- 
Band  pounds  :  but  if  you  have  not  de  monish,  den  you  shall  pay 
me  de  five  hundred  pounds  which  you  offer,  and  I  will  give  up 
de  paper." 

"  I  never  offered  five  hundred  pounds." 

"  Not  offer  ;  but  yon  mention  de  sum,  dat  quite  enough." 

"  Well,  then,  for  five  hundred  pounds,  you  will  give  up  the 
paper  ?" 

"  Yes  ;  I  vash  content  to  loshe  all  de  rest,  to  please  you." 

I  went  to  my  desk,  and  took  out  five  hundred  pounds  in 
notes.  "  Now,  there  is  the  money,  which  you  may  put  your 
hands  on  when  you  give  up  the  agreement."  The  old  man 
pulled  out  the  agreement  and  laid  it  on  the  table,  catching  up 
the  notes.  I  looked  at  the  paper  to  see  if  it  was  all  right,  and 
then  tore  it  up.  Emmanuel  put  the  notes,  with  a  heavy  sigh, 
into  his  inside  coat  pocket,  and  prepared  to  depart.  "  Now, 
Mr.  Emmanuel,  I  will  show  that  I  have  a  little  more  honour  than 
you  think  for.  This  is  all  the  money  I  have  in  the  world,"  said 
I,  taking  out  of  my  desk  the  remaining  thousand  pounds,  "  and 
half  of  it  I  give  to  you,  to  pay  you  the  whole  money  which  you 
lent  me.  Here  is  five  hundred  pounds  more,  and  now  we  are 
quits." 

The  eyes  of  the  old  man  were  fixed  upon  me  in  astonishment, 
and  from  my  face  they  glanced  upon  the  notes  ;  he  could,  to 
use  a  common  expression,  neither  believe  his  eyes  nor  his  ears. 
At  last  he  took  the  money,  again  unbuttoned,  and  pulled  out 
his  pocket-book,  and  with  a  trembling  hand  stowed  them  away 
as  before. 

"  You  vash  a  very  odd  gentleman,  Mishter  Newland,"  said 
he  ;  "  you  kick  me  down  stairs,  and — but  dat  is  nothing." 

"  Good-by,  Mr.  Emmanuel,"  said  I,  "  and  let  me  cat  mj 
dinner." 


284  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHKR 


CHAPTER   LVI. 

I   RESOLVE   TO    BEGIN  THE  WORLD  AGAIN  AND  TO   SEEK  MY  FORTUNE 
IN  THE  NEXT  PATH 1  TAKE  LEAVE  OF  ALL  MY  OLD  FRIENDS. 

THE  Jew  retired,  and  I  commenced  my  meal,  when  the  door 
again  slowly  opened,  and  Mr.  Emmanuel  crawled  up  to  me. 

"  Mishter  Newland,  I  vash  beg  your  pardon,  but  fill  yon 
not  pay  me  de  interest  of  the  monish  ?" 

I  started  up  from  my  chair,  with  my  rattan  in  my  hand. 
"  Begone,  you  old  thief,"  cried  I ;  and  hardly  were  the  words 
out  of  my  mouth,  before  Mr.  Emmanuel  travelled  out  of  the 
room,  and  I  never  saw  him  afterwards.  I  was  pleased  with 
myself  for  having  done  this  act  of  honesty,  and  for  the  first  time 
for  a  long  while  I  ate  my  dinner  with  some  zest.  After  I  had 
finished,  I  took  a  twenty  pound  note,  and  laid  it  in  my  desk, 
the  remainder  of  the  five  hundred  pounds  I  put  in  my  pocket, 
to  try  my  last  chance.  In  an  hour  I  quitted  the  hell  penniless. 
When  I  returned  home  I  had  composed  myself  a  little  after  the 
dreadful  excitement  which  I  had  been  under.  I  felt  a  calm, 
and  a  degree  of  negative  happiness.  I  knew  my  fate — there 
was  no  suspense.  I  sat  down  to  reflect  upon  what  I  should  do. 
I  was  to  commence  the  world  again — to  sink  down  at  once  into 
obscurity — into  poverty — and  I  felt  happy.  I  had  severed  the 
link  between  myself  and  my  former  condition — I  was  again  a 
beggar,  but  I  was  independent — and  I  resolved  so  to  be.  I 
spoke  kindly  to  Timothy,  went  to  bed,  and  having  arranged  in 
my  own  mind  how  I  should  act,  I  fell  sound  asleep. 

I  never  slept  better,  or  awoke  more  refreshed.  The  next 
morning  I  packed  up  my  portmanteau,  taking  with  me  only  the 
most  necessary  articles  :  all  the  details  of  the  toilet,  further 
than  cleanliness  was  concerned,  I  abjured.  When  Timothy 
came  in,  I  told  him  that  I  was  going  down  to  Lady  de  Clare's, 
which  I  intended  to  do.  Poor  Timothy  was  overjoyed  at  the 
change  in  my  manner,  little  thinking  that  he  was  so  soon  to 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER:  285 

lose  me — for,  reader,  I  had  made  np  my  mind  that  I  would 
try  my  fortunes  alone  ;  and,  painful  as  I  felt  would  be  the  part 
ing  with  so  valued  a  friend,  I  was  determined  that  I  would  no 
longer  have  even  his  assistance  or  company.  I  was  determined 
to  forget  ail  that  had  passed,  and  commence  the  world  anew. 
I  sat  down  while  Timothy  went  out  to  take  a  place  in  the  Rich- 
mond coach,  and  wrote  to  him  the  following  letter  : — 

'•  MY  DEAR  TIMOTHY  : 

"Do  not  think  that  I  undervalue  your  friendship,  or 
shall  ever  forget  your  regard  for  me,  when  I  tell  you  that  we 
shall  probably  never  meet  again.  Should  fortune  favour  me,  I 
trust  we  shall — but  of  that  there  is  little  prospect.  I  have  lost 
almost  every  thing  :  my  money  is  all  gone,  my  house  is  sold, 
and  all  is  gambled  away.  I  leave  you,  with  only  my  clothes  in 
my  portmanteau  and  twenty  pounds.  For  yourself,  there  is  the 
furniture,  which  you  must  sell,  as  well  as  every  other  article 
left  behind.  It  is  all  yours,  and  I  hope  you  will  find  means  to 
establish  yourself  in  some  way.  God  bless  you — and  believe 
me  always  and  gratefully  yours, 

"  JAPHET  XEWLAND." 

This  letter  I  reserved  to  put  in  the  post  when  I  quitted  Rich- 
mond.    My  next  letter  was  to  Mr.  Masterton. 

"  SIR  : 

"Your  note  I  received,  and  I  am  afraid  that  unwit- 
tingly, you  have  been  the  occasion  of  my  present  condition. 
That  I  did  not  deserve  the  language  addressed  to  me,  you  may 
satisfy  yourself  by  applying  to  Mr.  Harcourt.  Driven  to  des- 
peration, I  have  lost  all  I  had  in  the  world,  by  adding  gaming 
to  my  many  follies.  I  now  am  about  to  seek  ray  fortune,  and 
prosecute  my  search  after  my  father.  You  will,  therefore, 
return  my  most  sincere  acknowledgments  to  Lord  Windenucar, 
for  his  kind  offers  and  intentions,  and  assure  him  that  my  feel 
ings  towards  him  will  always  be  those  of  gratitude  and  resp»Tt 


286  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

For  yourself,  accept  my  warmest  thanks  for  the  friendly  advice 
and  kind  interest  which  you  have  shown  in  my  welfare,  and 
believe  me,  when  I  say,  that  my  earnest  prayers  shall  be  offered 
up  for  your  happiness.  If  you  can,  in  any  way,  assist  my  poor 
friend,  Timothy,  who  will,  I  have  no  doubt,  call  upon  you  hi 
'iis  distress,  you  will  confer  an  additional  favour  on, 

"  Yours,  ever  gratefully, 

"JAPHET  NEWLAND." 

I  sealed  this  letter,  and  when  Timothy  returned,  I  told  him 
that  I  wished  him,  after  my  departure,  to  take  it  to  Mr.  Mas- 
terton's,  and  not  wait  for  an  answer.  I  then,  as  I  had  an  hour 
to  spare,  before  the  coach  started,  entered  into  a  conversation 
with  Timothy.  I  pointed  out  to  him  the  unfortunate  condition 
in  which  I  found  myself,  and  my  determination  to  quit  the 
metropolis. 

Timothy  agreed  with  me.  "  I  have  seen  you  so  unhappy  of 
late — I  may  say,  so  miserable — that  I  have  neither  eaten  nor 
slept.  Indeed,  Japhet,  I  have  laid  in  bed  and  wept,  for  my 
happiness  depends  upon  yours.  Go  where  you  will,  I  am  ready 
to  follow  and  to  serve  you,  and  as  long  as  I  see  you  comfort- 
able, I  care  for  nothing  else." 

These  words  of  Timothy  almost  shook  my  resolution,  and  I 
was  near  telling  him  all ;  but  when  I  recollected  I  refrained. 
"  My  dear  Timothy,"  said  I,  "  in  this  world  we  must  expect  to 
meet  with  a  checkered  existence  ;  we  may  laugh  at  one  time, 
but  we  must  cry  at  others.  I  owe  my  life  to  you,  and  I  never 
shall  forget  you  wherever  I  may  be." 

"  No,"  replied  Timothy,  "  you  are  not  likely  to  forget  one 
who  is  hardly  an  hour  out  of  your  sight." 

'  Very  true,  Timothy  ;  but  circumstances  may  occur  which 
may  separate  us." 

"  I  cannot  imagine  such  circumstances,  nor  do  I  believe,  that 
bad  as  things  may  turn  out,  that  they  will  ever  be  so  bad  as 
that.  You  have  your  money  and  your  house  ;  if  you  leave 
London,  you  will  be  able  to  add  to  your  income  by  letting  youi 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  287 

own  apartments  furnished,  so  we  never  shall  want ;  and  we 
may  be  very  happy  running  about  the  world,  seeking  what  we 
wish  to  find." 

My  heart  smote  me  when  Timothy  said  this,  for  I  felt,  by  his 
devotion  and  fidelity,  he  had  almost  the  same  claim  to  the  pro- 
perty I  possessed  as  myself.  He  had  been  my  partner,  playing 
the  inferior  game  for  the  mutual  benefit.  "  But  the  time  may 
come,  Timothy,  when  we  may  find  ourselves  without  money,  as 
we  were  when  we  first  commenced  our  career,  and  shared  three- 
pence halfpenny  each,  by  selling  the  old  woman  the  embroca- 
tion." 

"  Well,  sir,  and  let  it  come.  I  should  be  sorry  for  you,  but 
not  for  myself,  for  then  Tim  would  be  of  more  importance,  and 
more  useful,  than  as  valet  with  little  or  nothing  to  do." 

I  mentally  exclaimed,  "  I  have,  I  think  I  have  been  a  fool,  a 
great  fool,  but  the  die  is  cast.  I  will  sow  in  sorrow,  and  may 
I  reap  a  harvest  in  joy.  I  feel,"  thought  I  (and  I  did  feel),  "  I 
feel  a  delightful  conviction,  that  we  shall  meet  again,  and  all 
this  misery  of  parting  will  be  but  a  subject  of  future  garrulity. 
Yes,  Tim,"  said  I,  in  a  loud  voice,  "  all  is  right." 

"All's  right,  sir;  I  never  thought  anything  was  wrong, 
except  your  annoyance  at  people  not  paying  you  the  attyntion 
which  they  used  to  do  when  they  supposed  you  a  man  of 
fortune." 

"  Very  true  ;  and,  Tim,  recollect  that  if  Mr.  Masterton 
speaks  to  you  about  me,  which  he  may  after  I  am  gone  to 
Richmond,  you  tell  him  that  before  I  left,  I  paid  that  old 
scoundrel  Emmanuel  every  farthing  that  I  had  borrowed  of 
him,  and  you  know  (and  in  fact  so  does  Mr.  Masterton)  how  it 
was  borrowed." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  will,  if  he  does  talk  to  me,  but  he  seldom  says 
much  to  me." 

"  But  he  may,  perhaps,  Tim  ;  and  I  wish  him  to  know  that 
I  have  paid  every  debt  I  owe  in  the  world." 

"One  would  think  that  you  were  going  to  the  East  Indies. 
Instead  of  to  Richmond  by  the  way  you  talk." 


288  JAPHET,  IN  SEAKCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  No,  Tim  ;  I  was  oflFered  a  situation  in  the  East  Indies,  and 
I  refused  it ;  but  Mr.  Masterton  and  I  have  not  been  on  good 
terms  lately,  and  I  wish  him  to  know  that  I  am  out  of  debt. 
You  know,  for  I  told  you  all  that  passed  between  Emmanuel 
and  myself,  how  he  accepted  five  hundred  pounds,  and  I  paid 
him  the  thousand  ;  and  I  wish  Mr.  Masterton  should  know  it 
too,  and  he  will  then  be  better  pleased  with  me."' 

"Never  fear,  sir,"  said  Tun,  "  I  can  tell  the  whole  story  with 
flourishes." 

"  No,  Tim,  nothing  but  the  truth  ;  but  it  is  time  I  should  go. 
Farewell,  my  dear  fellow.  May  God  bless  you  and  preserve 
you."  And,  overcome  by  my  feelings,  I  dropped  my  face  on 
Timothy's  shoulder,  and  wept. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  What  do  you  mean,  Japhet  ?  Mr 
Newland — pray,  sir,  what  is  the  matter  ?" 

"  Timothy — it  is  nothing,"  replied  I,  recovering  myself,  "  but 
I  have  been  ill ;  nervous  lately,  as  you  well  know,  and  even 
leaving  the  last  and  only  friend  I  have,  I  may  say  for  a  few 
days,  annoys  and  overcomes  me." 

"  Oh  !  sir — dear  Japhet,  do  let  us  leave  this  house,  and  sell 
your  furniture,  and  be  off." 

"  I  mean  that  it  shall  be  so,  Tim.  God  bless  you,  and  fare- 
well." I  went  down  stairs,  the  hackney-coach  was  at  the  door. 
Timothy  put  in  my  portmanteau,  and  mounted  the  box.  I 
wept  bitterly.  My  readers  may  despise  me,  but  they  ought  not ; 
let  them  be  in  my  situation,  and  feel  that  they  have  one  sin, 
cere  faithful  friend,  and  then  they  will  know  the  bitterness  ol 
parting.  I  recovered  myself  before  I  arrived  at  the  coach,  and 
shaking  hands  with  Timothy,  I  lost  sight  of  him  ;  for  how  long, 
the  reader  will  find  out  in  the  sequel  of  my  adventures. 

I  arrived  at  Lady  de  Glare's,  and  hardly  need  say  that  I  was 
well  received.  They  expressed  their  delight  at  my  so  soon 
coming  again,  and  made  a  hundred  inquiries — but  I  was  un- 
happy and  melancholy,  not  at  my  prospects,  for  in  my  infatua- 
tion I  rejoiced  ,***  my  anticipated  beggary — but  I  wished  to 
communicate  with  Fleta,  for  so  I  still  called  her.  Fleta  had 


JAPHET.  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  289 

known  my  history,  for  she  had  been  present  when  I  had  related 
it  to  her  mother,  up  to  the  time  that  I  arrived  in  London  ;  fur- 
ther than  that  she  knew  little.  I  was  determined  that  before  I 
quitted  she  should  know  all.  I  dared  not  trust  the  last  part  to 
her  when  I  was  present,  but  I  resolved  that  I  would  do  it  in 
writing. 

Lady  de  Clare  made  no  difficulty  whatever  of  leaving  me 
with  Fleta.  She  was  now  a  beautiful  creature,  of  between  fif- 
teen and  sixteen,  bursting  into  womanhood,  and  lovely  as  the 
bud  of  the  moss-rose ;  and  she  was  precocious  beyond  her 
years  in  intellect.  I  stayed  there  three  days,  and  had  frequent 
opportunities  of  conversing  with  her  ;  I  told  her  that  I  wished 
her  to  be  acquainted  with  my  whole  life,  and  interrogated  her 
as  to  what  she  knew  :  I  carefully  filled  np  the  chasms,  until  I 
brought  it  down  to  the  time  at  which  I  placed  her  in  the  arms 
of  her  mother.  "  And  now,  Fleta,"  said  I,  "  you  have  much 
more  to  learn — you  will  learn  that  much  at  my  departure.  I 
have  dedicated  hours  every  night  in  writing  it  out ;  and,  as 
you  will  find,  have  analysed  my  feelings,  and  have  pointed  out 
to  you  where  I  have  been  wrong.  I  have  done  it  for  my  amuse- 
ment, as  it  may  be  of  service  even  to  a  female." 

On  the  third  day  I  took  my  leave,  and  requesting  the  pony 

chaise  of  Lady  de  Clare,  to  take  me  over  to ,  that  I  might 

catch  the  first  coach  that  went  westward,  for  I  did  not  care 
which  ;  I  put  into  Fleta's  hands  the  packet  which  I  had  writ- 
teo,  containing  all  that  had  passed,  and  I  bid  her  farewell. 

"  Lady  de  Clare,  may  you  be  happy,"  said  I.  "  Fleta — 
Cmilia,  I  should  say,  may  God  bless  and  preserve  yon,  and 
ec»»ietimes  think  of  your  sincere  friend,  Japhet  Newland." 

"  Really,  Mr.  Newland,"  said  Lady  de  Clare,  "  one  would 
think  we  were  never  to  see  you  again." 

"  I  hope  that  will  not  be  the  case,  Lady  de  Clare,  for  I  know 
nobody  to  whom  I  am  more  devoted." 

"  Then,  sir,  recollect  we  are  to  see  you  very  soon." 

I  pressed  her  ladyship's  hand,  and  left  the  '  ouse.  Thus  did 
I  commence  my  second  pilgrimage. 

18 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 


CHAPTER  LVII 

MY  NEW  CAREER  IS  NOT  VERY  PROSPEROUS  AT  ITS  COMMENCEMENT— 

I    AM    ROBBED,    AND    ACCUSED    OF    BEING   A   ROBBER 1    BIND    UP 

WOUNDS,  AND    AM   ACCUSED    OF    HAVING    INFLICTED   THEM 1   GET 

INTO  A  HORSE-POND,  AND  OUT  OF  IT  INTO  GAOL. 

I  HAD  proceeded  half  a  mile  from  the  house,  when  I  desired  the 
servant  to  turn  into  a  cross-road  so  as  to  gain  Brentford  ;  and, 
BO  soon  as  I  arrived,  the  distance  being  only  four  miles,  I 
ordered  him  to  stop  at  a  public-house,  saying  that  I  would 
wait  till  the  coach  should  pass  by.  I  then  gave  him  half-a- 
crown,  and  ordered  him  to  go  home.  I  went  into  the  inn  with 
my  portmanteau,  and  was  shown  into  a  small  back  parlour  ; 
there  I  remained  about  half  an  hour  reflecting  upon  the  best 
plan  that  I  could  adopt. 

Leaving  the  ale  that  I  had  called  for  untasted,  I  paid  for  it, 
and,  with  the  portmanteau  on  my  shoulder,  I  walked  away  until 
I  arrived  at  an  old  clothes'  shop.  I  told  the  Jew  who  kept  it, 
that  I  required  some  clothes,  and  also  wanted  to  dispose  of  my 
own  portmanteau  and  all  my  effects.  I  had  a  great"  rogue  to 
deal  with  ;  but  after  much  chaffering,  for  I  now  felt  the  value 
of  money,  I  purchased  from  him  two  pair  of  corduroy  trowsers, 
LWO  waistcoats,  four  common  shirts,  four  pairs  of  stockings,  a 
hmock  frock,  a  pah1  of  high-lows,  and  a  common  hat.  For 
these  I  gave  up  all  my  portmanteau,  with  the  exception  of  six 
Bilk  handkerchiefs,  and  received  fifty  shillings,  when  I  ought  to 
have  received,  at  least,  ten  pounds  ;  but  I  could  not  well  help 
myself,  and  I  submitted  to  the  extortion.  I  dressed  myself  in 
my  more  humble  garments,  securing  my  money  in  the  pocket  of 
my  trowsers  unobserved  by  the  Jew,  made  up  a  bundle  of  the 
rest,  and  procured  a  stick  from  the  Jew  to  carry  it  on,  however 
not  without  paying  him  three-pence  for  it,  he  observing  that  tho 
stick  "  wash  not  in  de  bargain."  Thus  attired,  I  had  the 
appearance  of  a  countryman  well  to  do,  and  I  set  off  through 


JAPHET,    IN   SEARCH   OF  A   FATHER.          .  291 

the  long  dirty  main  street  of  Brentford,  quite  undecided  and 
indifferent  as  to  the  direction  I  should  take.  I  walked  about  a 
mile,  when  I  thought  that  it  was  better  to  come  to  some  deci- 
sion previous  to  my  going  farther  ;  and  perceiving  a  bench  in 
front  of  a  public-house,  I  went  to  it  and  sat  down.  I  looked 
around,  and  it  immediately  came  to  my  recollection  that  I  was 
sitting  on  the  very  bench  on  which  Timothy  and  I  had  stopped 
to  eat  our  meal  of  pork,  at  our  first  outset  upon  our  travels. 
Yes,  it  was  the  very  same  !  Here  sat  I,  and  there  sat  Timo- 
thy, two  heedless  boys,  with  the  paper  containing  the  meat,  the 
loaf  of  bread,  and  the  pot  of  beer  between  us.  Poor  Timothy  ! 
I  conjured  up  his  unhappiness  when  he  had  received  my  note 
acquainting  him  with  our  future  separation.  I  remembered  his 
fidelity,  his  courage  in  defence,  and  his  preservation  of  my  life 
in  Ireland,  and  a  tear  or  two  coursed  down  my  cheek. 

I  remained  some  time  in  a  deep  reverie,  during  which  the 
various  circumstances  and  adventures  of  my  life  passed  in  a 
rapid  panorama  before  me.  I  felt  that  I  had  little  to  plead  in 
my  own  favour,  much  to  condemn — that  I  had  passed  a  life  of 
fraud  and  deceit.  I  also  could  not  forget  that  when  I  had 
returned  to  honesty,  I  had  been  scouted  by  the  world.  "  And 
here  I  am,"  thought  I,  "  once  more  with  the  world  before  me  ; 
and  it  is  just  that  I  should  commence  again,  for  I  started  in  a 
wrong  path.  At  least,  now  I  can  satisfactorily  assert  that  I  am 
deceiving  nobody,  and  can  deservedly  receive  no  contumely.  I 
am  Japhet  Newland,  and  not  in  disguise."  I  felt  happy  with 
this  reflection,  and  made  a  determination,  whatever  my  future 
lot  might  be,  that,  at  least,  I  would  pursue  the  path  of  honesty. 
I  then  began  to  reflect  upon  another  point,  which  was,  whither 
I  should  bend  my  steps,  and  what  I  should  do  to  gain  my 
livelihood. 

Alas  I  that  was  a  subject  of  no  little  difficulty  to  me.  A 
person  who  has  been  brought  up  to  a  profession  naturally 
reverts  to  that  profession — but  to  what  had  I  been  brought  up  ? 
As  an  apothecary — true  ;  but  I  well  knew  the  difficulty  of 
obtaining  employment  in  what  is  termed  a  liberal  profession, 


292  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

without  interest  or  recommendation  ;  neither  did  I  wish  for 
close  confinement,  as  the  very  idea  was  irksome.  As  a  mounte- 
bank, a  juggler,  a  quack  doctor — I  spurned  the  very  idea.  It 
was  a  system  of  fraud  and  deceit.  What  then  could  I  do  ?  I 
could  not  dig,  to  beg  I  was  ashamed.  I  must  trust  to  the 
chapter  of  accidents,  and  considering  how  helpless  I  was,  such 
trust  was  but  a  broken  reed.  At  all  events,  I  had  a  sufficient 
sum  of  money,  upwards  of  twenty  pounds,  to  exist  upon  with 
economy  for  some  time. 

I  was  interrupted  by  a  voice  calling  out,  "  Hilloa  !  my  lad, 
come  and  hold  this  horse  a  moment."  I  looked  up  and  per- 
ceived a  person  on  horseback  looking  at  me.  "  Do  you  hear  or 
are  you  stupid  ?"  cried  the  man.  My  first  feeling  was  to  knock 
him  down  for  his  impertinence,  but  my  bundle  lying  beside, 
reminded  me  of  my  situation  and  appearance,  and  I  rose  and 
walked  towards  the  horse.  The  gentleman,  for  such  he  was  in 
appearance,  dismounted,  and  throwing  the  rein  on  the  horse's 
neck,  told  me  to  stand  by  him  for  half  a  minute.  He  went  into 
a  respectable  looking  house  opposite  the  inn,  and  remained 
nearly  half  an  hour,  during  which  I  was  becoming  very  impa- 
tient, and  kept  an  anxious  eye  upon  my  bundle,  which  lay  on 
the  seat.  At  last  he  came  out,  and  mounting  his  horse  looked 
in  my  face  with  some  degree  of  surprise.  "Why,  what  are 
you  ?"  said  he,  as  he  pulled  out  a  sixpence,  and  tendered  it 
to  me 

I  was  again  nearly  forgetting  myself,  affronted  at  the  idea  of 
sixpence  being  offered  to  me;  but  I  recovered  myself,  sayiug,  as 
I  took  it,  "A  poor  labouring  man,  sir." 

"What,  with  those  hands?"  said  he,  looking  at  them  as  I 
took  the  money;  and  then  looking  at  my  face,  he  continued,  "  I 
think  we  have  met  before,  my  lad — I  cannot  be  sure;  you  know 
best — I  am  a  Bow  Street  magistrate." 

In  a  moment,  I  remembered  that  he  was  the  very  magistrate 
before  whom  I  had  twice  made  my  appearance.  I  coloured 
deeply,  and  made  no  reply. 

"  Well,  my  lad,  Fm  not  on  my  bench  now,  and  this  sixpence 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  293 

yon  have  earned  honestly.  I  trust  you  will  continue  in  the 
right  path.  Be  careful — I  ha^e  sharp  eyes."  So  saying,  he 
rode  off. 

I  never  felt  more  mortiried.  It  was  evident  that  he  con- 
sidered me  as  one  who  was  acting  a  part  for  unworthy  purposes; 
perhaps  one  of  the  swell  mob  or  a  flash  pickpocket,  rusticating 
until  some  hue  and  cry  was  over.  "  Well,  well,"  thought  I,  as 
I  took  up  a  lump  of  dirt  and  rubbed  over  my  then  white  hands, 
"  it  is  my  fate  to  be  believed  when  I  deceive,  and  to  be  mis- 
trusted when  I  am  acting  honestly;"  and  I  returned  to  the 
bench  for  my  bundle,  which — was  gone.  I  stared  with  aston- 
ishment. "  Is  it  possible  ?"  thought  I.  "  How  dishonest  people 
are  !  Well,  I  will  not  carry  another  for  the  present.  They 
might  as  well  have  left  me  my  stick."  So  thinking,  and  with- 
out any  great  degree  of  annoyance  at  the  loss,  I  turned  from 
the  bench  and  walked  away,  I  knew  not  whither.  It  was  now 
getting  dark,  but  I  quite  forgot  that  it  was  necessary  to  look 
oat  for  a  lodging;  the  fact  is,  that  I  had  been  completely  upset 
by  the  observations  of  the  magistrate,  and  the  theft  of  my  bun- 
dle; and,  in  a  sort  of  brown  study,  from  which  I  was  occasion- 
ally recalled  for  a  moment  by  stumbling  over  various  obstruc- 
tions, I  continued  my  walk  on  the  pathway  until  I  was  two  or 
three  miles  away  from  Brentford.  I  was  within  a  mile  of 
Honnslow,  when  I  was  roused  by  the  groans  of  some  person, 
and  it  being  now  dark,  I  looked  round,  trying  to  catch  by  the 
ear  the  direction  in  which  to  offer  my  assistance.  They  pro- 
ceeded from  the  other  side  of  a  hedge,  and  I  crawled  through, 
where  I  found  a  man  lying  on  the  ground,  covered  with  blood 
about  the  head,  and  breathing  heavily.  I  untied  his  neckcloth, 
and,  as  well  as  I  could,  examined  his  condition.  I  bound  hid 
handkerchief  round  his  head,  and  perceiving  that  the  position 
in  which  he  was  lying  was  very  unfavorable,  his  head  and 
shoulders  being  much  lower  than  his  body,  I  was  dragging  the 
body  round  so  as  to  raise  those  parts,  when  I  heard  footsteps 
and  voices.  Shortly  after,  four  people  burst  through  the  hedge 
aud  surrounded  me. 


294  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  That  is  him,  I'll  swear  to  it,"  cried  an  immense  stout  man, 
seizing  me;  "that  is  the  other  fellow  who  attacked  me,  and  ran 
away.  He  has  come  to  get  off  his  accomplice,  and  now  we've 
just  nicked  them  both." 

"  You  are  very  much  mistaken,"  replied  I,  "  and  you  have 
no  need  to  hold  me  so  tight.  I  heard  the  man  groan,  and  I 
came  to  his  assistance." 

"  That  gammon  won't  do,"  replied  one  of  ^them,  who  was  a 
constable;  "  you'll  come  along  with  us,  and  we  may  as  well  put 
on  the  darbies?  continued  he,  producing  a  pair  of  handcuffs. 

Indignant  at  the  insult,  I  suddenly  broke  from  him  who  held 
me,  and  darting  at  the  constable,  knocked  him  down,  and  then 
took  to  my  heels  across  the  ploughed  field.  The  whole  four 
pursued,  but  I  rather  gained  upon  them,  and  was  in  hopes  to 
make  my  escape-.  I  ran  for  a  gap  I  perceived  in  the  hedge, 
and  sprang  over  it,  without  minding  the  old  adage,  of  "  Look 
before  you  leap;"  for,  when  on  the  other  side,  I  found  myself  in 
a  deep  and  stagnant  pit  of  water  and  mud.  I  sank  over  head, 
and  with  difficulty  extricated  myself  from  the  mud  at  the  bot- 
tom, and  when  at  the  surface  I  was  equally  embarrassed  with 
the  weeds  at  the  top,  among  which  I  floundered.  In  the  mean 
time  my  pursuers,  warned  by  the  loud  splash,  had  paused  when 
they  came  to  the  edge,  and  perceiving  my  situation,  were  at  the 
brink  of  the  pit  watching  for  my  coming  out.  All  resistance 
was  useless.  I  was  numbed  with  cold  and  exhausted  by  my 
struggles,  and  when  I  gained  the  bank  I  surrendered  at  dis- 
cretion. 


CHAPTER  LVIII. 

WORSE   AND  WORSE IF    OUT   OF   GAOL,    IT   WILL   BE   TO   GO    OUT   OF 

THE  WORLD 1  AM  RESOLVED  TO  TAKE  MY  SECRET  WITH  ME. 

THE  handcuffs  were  now  put  on  without  resistance  on  my  part, 
and  I  was  led  away  to  Hounslow  by  the  two  constables,  while 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          295 

the  others  returned  to  secure  the  wounded  man.  On  my  arri- 
val I  was  thrust  into  the  clink,  or  lock-up  house,  as  the  magis- 
trates would  not  meet  that  evening,  and  there  I  was  left  to  my 
reflections.  Previously,  however,  to  this,  I  was  searched,  and- 
my  money,  amounting,  as  I  before  stated,  to  upwards  of  twenty 
pounds,  taken  from  me  by  the  constables ;  and  what  I  h»d 
quite  forgotten,  a  diamond  solitaire  ring,  which  I  had  intended 
to  have  left  with  my  other  bijouterie  for  Timothy,  but  in  my 
hurry,  when  I  left  London,  I  had  allowed  to  remain  upon  my 
finger.  The  gaol  was  a  square  building,  with  two  unglazed 
windows  secured  with  thick  iron  bars,  and  the  rain  having  beat 
in,  it  was  more  like  a  pound  for  cattle,  for  it  was  not  even 
paved,  and  the  ground  was  three  or  four  inches  deep  in  mud. 
There  was  no  seat  in  it.  and  there  I  was  the  whole  of  the  night 
walking  up  and  down  shivering  in  my  wet  clothes,  in  a  state  of 
mind  almost  bordering  upon  insanity.  Reflect  upon  what  was 
likely  to  happen,  I  could  not.  I  only  ran  over  the  past.  I 
remembered  what  I  had  been,  and  felt  cruelly  the  situation  I 
then  was  in.  Had  I  deserved  it  ?  I  thought  not.  "  Oh  I 
father — father  1"  exclaimed  I,  bitterly,  "  see  to  what  your  sou 
is  brought — handcuffed  as  a  felon  1  God  have  mercy  on  my 
brain,  for  I  feel  that  it  is  wandering.  Father,  father — alas,  I 
have  none  ! — had  you  left  me  at  the  asylum,  without  any  clue, 
or  hopes  of  a  clue,  to  my  hereafter  being  reclaimed,  it  would 
have  been  a  kindness  ;  I  should  then  have  been  happy  and 
contented  in  some  obscure  situation  ;  but  you  raised  hopes  only 
to  prostrate  them — and  imaginings  which  have  led  to  my 
destruction.  Sacred  is  the  duty  of  a  parent,  and  heavy  must 
be  the  account  of  those  who  desert  their  children,  and  are 
required  by  Heaven  to  render  up  an  account  of  the  important 
trust.  Couldst  thou,  oh,  father,  but  now  behold  thy  son  ! 

God  Almighty  ! but  I  will  not  curse  you,  father  1     No, 

no "  and  I  burst  into  tears,  as  I  leant  against  the  damp 

walls  of  the  prison. 

The  day  at  last  broke,  and  the  sun  rose,  and  poured  hi" 
beaming  rays  through  the  barred  windows.     I  looked  at  myself 


296  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER. 

and  was  shocked  at  my  appearance  ;  my  smoke-frock  was  cov 
ered  with  black  mud,  my  clothes  were  equally  disfigured.  1 
had  lost  my  hat  when  in  the  water,  and  I  felt  the  dry  mod 
cracking  on  my  cheeks.  I  put  my  hands  up  to  my  head,  and  I 
pulled  a  quantity  of  duck-weed  out  of  my  matted  and  tangled 
hair.  I  thought  of  the  appearance  I  should  make  when  sum- 
moned before  the  magistrates,  and  how  much  it  would  go 
against  me.  "  Good  God  !"  thought  I,  "  who,  of  all  the  world 
of  fashion — who,  of  all  those  who  once  caught  my  salutation 
so  eagerly — who,  of  all  those  worldly-minded  girls,  who  smiled 
upon  me  but  one  short  twelve  months  since,  would  imagine,  or 
believe,  that  Japhet  Newland  could  ever  have  sunk  so  low — and 
how  has  he  so  fallen  ?  Alas  !  because  he  would  be  honest,  and 
had  strength  of  mind  enough  to  adhere  to  his  resolution.  Well, 
well,  God's  will  be.  done  ;  I  care  not  for  life  ;  but  still  an  igno- 
minious death — to  go  out  of  the  world  like  a  dog,  and  that  too 
without  finding  out  who  is  my  father."  And  I  put  my  fettered 
hands  np  and  pressed  my  burning  brow,  and  remained  in  a  sort 
of  apathetic  sullen  mood,  until  I  was  startled  by  the  opening 
of  the  door,  and  the  appearance  of  the  constables.  They  led 
me  out  amongst  the  crowd,  through  which,  with  difficulty,  they 
could  force  their  way  ;  and  followed  by  the  majority  of  the 
population  of  Hounslow,  who  made  their  complimentary  re- 
marks upon  the  footpad,  I  was  brought  before  the  magistrates. 
The  large  stout  man  was  then  called  up  to  give  his  evidence, 
and  deposed  as  follows  ; — 

"  That  he  was  walking  to  Hounslow  from  Brentford,  whither 
he  had  been  to  purchase  some  clothes,  when  he  was  accosted 
by  two  fellows  in  smock-frocks,  one  of  whom  carried  a  bundle 
in  his  left  hand.  They  asked  him  what  o'clock  it  was  ;  and  he 
took  out  his  watch  to  tell  them,  when  he  received  a  blow  from 
the  one  with  the  bundle,  (this  one,  sir,  said  he,  pointing  to  me,) 
on  the  back  of  his  head  ;  at  the  same  time  the  other  (the 
wounded  man  who  was  now  in  custody)  snatched  his  watch. 
That  at  the  time  he  bad  purchased  his  clothes  at  Brentford,  he 
had  also  bought  a  bag  of  shot,  fourteen  pounds'  weight,  which 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  297 

he  had,  for  the  convenience  of  carrying,  tied  up  with  the  clothes 
in  the  bundle  ;  and  perceiving  that  he  was  about  to  be  robbed, 
he  had  swung  his  bundle  round  his  head,  and  with  the  weight 
of  the  shot,  had  knocked  down  the  man  who  had  snatched  at 
his  watch.  He  then  turned  to  the  other  (me),  who  backed 
from  him,  and  struck  at  him  with  his  stick.  (The  stick  was 
here  produced  ;  and  when  I  cast  my  eye  on  it,  I  was  horrified 
to  perceive  that  it  was  the  very  stick  which  I  had  bought  of 
the  Jew,  for  three-pence,  to  carry  my  bundle  on.)  He  had 
closed  in  with  me,  and  was  wresting  the  stick  out  of  my  hand, 
when  the  other  man,  who  had  recovered  his  legs,  again  attack- 
ed him  with  another  stick.  In  the  scuffle  he  had  obtained  my 
stick,  and  I  had  wrested  from  him  his  bundle,  with  which,  as 
soon  as  he  had  knocked  down  my  partner,  I  ran  off.  That  he 
beat  my  partner  until  he  was  insensible,  and  then  found  that  I 
had  left  my  own  bundle,  which  in  the  affray  I  had  thrown  on 
one  side.  He  then  made  the  best  of  his  way  to  Hounslow  to 
give  the  information."  His  return  and  finding  me  with  the 
other  man  is  already  known  to  the  readers. 

The  next  evidence  who  came  forward  was  the  Jew,  from 
whom  I  had  bought  the  clothes  and  sold  my  own.  He  narrated 
all  that  had  occurred,  and  swore  to  the  clothes  in  the  bundle 
left  by  the  footpad,  and  to  the  stick  which  he  had  sold  to  me. 
The  constable  then  produced  the  money  found  about  my  person 
and  the  diamond  solitaire  ring,  stating  my  attempt  to  escape 
when  I  was  seized.  The  magistrate  then  asked  me  whether  I 
had  any  thing  to  say  in  my  defence,  cautioning  me  not  to  com- 
mit myself. 

I  replied,  that  I  was  innocent  ;  that  it  was  true  that  I  hud 
Bold  my  own  clothes,  and  had  purchased  those  of  the  Jew, 
as  well  as  the  stick  :  that  I  had  been  asked  to  hold  the  horse 
of  a  gentleman  when  sitting  on  a  bench  opposite  a  public  house, 
and  that  some  one  had  stolen  my  bundle  and  my  stick.  That  I 
had  walked  ou  towards  Hounslow,  and,  in  assisting  a  fellow- 
creature,  whom  I  certainly  had  considered  a«  having  been 
attacked  by  others.  I  had  merely  yielded  to  the  common  feelings 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

of  humanity — that  I  was  seized  when  performing  that  duty,  and 
should  willingly  have  accompanied  them  to  the  magistrate's, 
had  not  they  attempted  to  put  on  handcuffs,  at  which  my  feel- 
ings were  roused,  and  I  knocked  the  constable  down,  and  made 
my  attempt  to  escape. 

"  Certainly,  a  very  ingenious  defence,"  observed  one  of  the 

magistrates  ;  "  pray  where "  At  this  moment  the  door 

opened,  and  in  came  the  very  gentleman,  the  magistrate  at 
Bow  Street,  whose  horse  I  had  held.  "  Good  morning,  Mr. 
Norman  ;  you  have  just  come  in  time  to  render  us  your  assist- 
ance. We  have  a  very  deep  hand  to  deai  with  here,  or  else  a 
very  injured  person,  I  cannot  tell  which.  Do  us  the  favour  to 
look  over  these  informations  and  the  defence  of  the  prisoner, 
previous  to  our  asking  him  any  more  questions." 

The  Bow  Street  magistrate  complied,  and  then  turned  to  me, 
but  I  was  so  disguised  with  mud  that  he  could  not  recognise 
me. 

"  You  are  the  gentleman,  sir,  who  asked  me  to  hold  your 
horse,"  said  I.  "  I  call  you  to  witness,  that  that  part  of  my 
assertion  is  true." 

"  I  do  now  recollect  that  you  are  the  person,"  replied  he, 
''  and  you  may  recollect  the  observation  I  made,  relative  to  your 
hands,  when  you  stated  that  you  were  a  poor  countryman." 

"  I  do,  sir,  perfectly,"  replied  I. 

"  Perhaps  then  you  will  inform  us  by  what  means  a  diamond 
ring  and  twenty  pounds  in  money  came  into  your  possession." 

"  Honestly,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"  Will  you  state,  as  you  are  a  poor  countryman,  with  whom 
you  worked  last — what  parish  you  belong  to — and  whom  you 
can  bring  forward  in  proof  of  good  character  ?" 

"•  I  certainly  shall  not  answer  those  questions,"  replied  I,  "  if 
I  chose  I  might  so  do,  and  satisfactorily." 

"  What  is  your  name  ?" 

"  I  cannot  answer  that  question  either,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"  I  told  you  yesterday  that  we  had  met  before  ;  was  it  not  at 
Bow  Street  2" 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER.          299 

"I  am  surprised  at  your  asking  a  question,  sir,  from  the 
bench,  to  «vhich,  if  I  answered,  the  reply  may  affect  me  consid- 
erably. I  am  here  in  a  false  position,  and  cannot  well  help  my- 
self. I  have  no  friends  that  I  choose  to  call,  for  I  should  blush 
that  they  should  see  me  in  such  a  state,  and  under  such  impu- 
tations." 

"  Your  relations,  young  man,  would  certainly  not  be  back- 
ward. Who  is  your  father  ?" 

"  My  father,"  exclaimed  I,  raising  up  my  hands  and  eyes. 
"  My  father  1  Merciful  God  ! — if  he  could  only  see  me  here — 
see  to  what  he  has  reduced  his  unhappy  son,"  and  I  covered  my 
face  and  sobbed  convulsively. 


CHAPTER    LIX. 

BY   THE   COMMITTING    OF   MAGISTERIAL   MISTAKES   I   AM   PERSONALLY 

AND  PENALLY  COMMITTED 1    PREPARE   FOR  MY  TRIAL  BY  CALLING 

IN   THK    ASSISTANCE   OF   THE   TAILOR    AND   THE    PERFUMER 1  All 

RESOLVED  TO  DIE  LIKE  A  GENTLEMAN. 

"  IT  is  indeed  a  pity,  a  great  pity,"  observed  one  of  the  magis- 
trate, "  such  a  fine  young  man,  and  evidently,  by  his  demeanour 
and  language,  well  brought  up  ;  but  I  believe,"  said'  he,  turning 
to  the  others,  "  we  have  but  one  course  ;  what  say  you,  Mr. 
Norman  ?" 

"  I  am  afraid  that  my  opinion  coincides  with  yours,  and  that 
the  grand  jury  will  not  hesitate  to  find  a  bill,  as  the  case  stands 
at  present.  Let  us,  however,  ask  the  witness  Armstrong  one 
question.  Do  you  positively  swear  to  this  young  man  being  one 
of  the  persons  who  attacked  you  ?" 

"  It  was  not  very  light  at  the  time,  sir,  and  both  the  men  had 
their  faces  smutted  ;  but  it  was  a  person  just  his  size,  and 
dressed  iu  the  same  way,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect." 

"  You  cannot,  therefore,  swear  to  his  identity  T 


300  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  No,  sir  ;  but  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  and  belief,  he  a 
the  man." 

"  Take  that  evidence  down  as  important,"  said  Mr.  Norman; 
"  it  will  assist  him  at  his  trial." 

The  evidence  was  taken  down,  and  then  my  commitment  to 
the  county  gaol  was  made  out.  I  was  placed  in  a  cart,  betweec 
two  constables,  and  driven  off.  On  my  arrival  I  was  put  into  a 
cell,  and  my  money  returned  to  me,  but  the  ring  was  detained, 
that  it  might  be  advertised.  At  last,  I  was  freed  from  the 
manacles  ;  and  when  the  prison  dress  was  brought  to  me  to  put 
on,  in  lieu  of  my  own  clothes,  I  requested  leave  from  the  gaoler 
to  wash  myself,  which  was  granted;  and,  strange  to  say,  so  un- 
accustomed had  I  been  to  such  a  state  of  filth,  that  I  felt 
a  degree  of  happiness,  as  I  returned  from  the  pump  in  the 
prison-yard,  and  I  put  on  the  prison  dress  almost  with  pleasure; 
for  degrading  as  it  was,  at  all  events,  it  was  new  and  clean.  I 
then  returned  to  my  cell,  and  was  left  to  my  meditations. 

Now  that  my  examination  and  committal  were  over,  I 
became  much  more  composed,  and  was  able  to  reflect  coolly. 
I  perceived  the  great  danger  of  my -situation — how  strong  the 
evidence  was  against  me — and  how  little  chance  I  had  of 
escape.  As  for  sending  to  Lord  Windermear,  Mr.  Masterton, 
or  those  who  formerly  were  acquainted  with  me.  my  pride  for- 
bade it — I  would  sooner  have  perished  on  the  scaffold.  Besides, 
their  evidence  as  to  my  former  situation  in  life,  although  it 
would  perhaps  satisfactorily  account  for  my  possession  of  the 
money  and  the  ring,  and  for  my  disposing  of  my  portmanteau — 
all  strong  presumptive  evidence  against  me — would  not  destroy 
the  evidence  brought  forward  as  to  the  robbery,  which  appeared 
to  be  so  very  conclusive  to  the  bench  of  magistrates.  My  only 
chance  appeared  to  be  in  the  footpad,  who  had  not  escaped, 
acknowledging  that  I  was  not  his  accomplice  ;  and  I  felt  how 
much  I  was  interested  in  his  recovery,  as  well  as  in  his  candour 
The  assizes  I  knew  were  near  at  hand,  and  I  anxiously  awaited 
the  return  of  the  gaoler,  to  make  a  few  inquiries.  At  night  he 
looked  through  the  small  square  cut  out  of  the  top  of  the  dooi 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          301 

of  the  cell,  for  it  was  his  duty  to  go  his  rounds  and  ascertain  if 
all  his  prisoners  were  safe.  I  then  asked  him  if  I  might  be 
allowed  to  make  a  few  purchases,  such  as  pens,  ink,  and  paper, 
&c.  As  I  was  not  committed  to  prison  in  punishment,  but  on 
suspicion,  this  was  not  denied,  although  it  would  have  been  to 
those  who  were  condemned  to  imprisonment  and  hard  labour  for 
their  offences  ;  and  he  volunteered  to  procure  them  for  me  the 
next  morning.  I  then  wished  him  a  good  night,  and  threw  my- 
self on  my  mattress.  Worn  out  with  fatigue  and  distress  of 
mind,  I  slept  soundly,  without  dreaming,  until  daylight  the  next 
morning.  As  I  awoke,  and  my  scattered  senses  were  returning, 
I  had  a  confused  idea  that  there  was  something  which  weighed 
heavily  on  my  mind,  which  sleep  had  banished  from  my 
memory.  "  What  is  it  ?"  thought  I ;  and  as  I  opened  my  eyes, 
so  did  I  remember  that  I,  Japhet  Newland,  who  but  two  nights 
before  was  pressing  the  down  of  luxury  in  the  same  habitation 
as  Lady  de  Clare  and  her  lovely  child,  was  now  on  a  mattress 
in  the  cell  of  a  prison,  under  a  charge  which  threatened  me 
with  an  ignominious  death.  I  rose,  and  sat  on  the  bed,  for  I 
had  not  thrown  off  my  clothes.  My  first  thoughts  were  directed 
to  Timothy.  Should  I  write  to  him  ?  No,  no  !  why  should  I 
make  him  miserable  ?  If  I  was  to  suffer,  it  should  be  under  an 
assumed  name.  But  what  name  ?  Here  I  was  interrupted  by 
the  gaoler,  who  opened  the  door,  and  desired  me  to  roll  up  my 
mattress  and  bed-clothes,  that  they  might,  as  was  the  custom, 
be  taken  out  of  the  cell  during  the  day. 

My  first  inquiry  was,  if  the  man  who  had  been  so  much  hurt 
was  in  the  gaol. 

"  You  mean  your  'complice,"  replied  the  gaoler.  "  Yes,  he 
is  here,  and  has  recovered  his  senses.  The  doctor  says  he  will 
.lo  very  well." 

"  Ha»  he  made  any  confession  ?"  inquired  I. 

The  gaoler  made  no  reply. 

"  I  ask  that  question,"  continued  I,  "  because  if  he  acknow- 
ledges who  was  his  accomplice,  I  shall  be  set  at  liberty." 

44  Very  likely,"  replied  the  man,  sarcastically  ;  "  the  fact  in, 


302  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH   OF    A   FATHER. 

there  is  no  occasion  for  king's  evidence  in  this  case,  or  yon 
might  get  off  by  crossing  the  water  ;  so  you  must  trust  to  your 
luck.  The  grand  jury  meet  to-day,  and  I  will  let  you  know 
whether  a  true  bill  is  found  against  you  or  not." 

"  What  is  the  name  of  the  other  man  ?"  inquired  I. 

"  Well,  you  are  a  good  un  to  put  a  face  upon  a  matter,  I 
will  say.  You  would  almost  persuade  me,  with  that  innocent 
bok  of  yours,  that  you  know  nothing  about  the  business." 

"  Nor  do  I,"  replied  I. 

"  You  will  be  fortunate,  if  you  can  prove  as  much,  that's 
all." 

"  Still,  you  have  not  answered  my  question :  what  is  the  other 
man's  name  ?" 

"  Well,"  replied  the  gaoler,  laughing,  "  since  you  are  deter- 
mined I  shall  tell  you,  I  will.  It  must  be  news  to  you,  with  a 
vengeance.  His  name  is  Bill  Ogle,  alias  Swamping  Bill.  I 
suppose  you  never  heard  that  name  before  ?" 

"  I  certainly  never  did,"  replied  I. 

"  Perhaps  you  do  not  know  your  own  name  ?  Yet  I  can  tell 
it  you,  for  Bill  Ogle  has  blown  upon  you  so  far." 

"  Indeed,"  replied  I ;  "  and  what  name  has  he  given  to  me  ?" 

"  Why,  to  do  him  justice,  it  wasn't  until  he  saw  a  copy  of 
the  depositions  before  the  magistrates,  and  heard  how  you  were 
nabbed  in  trying  to  help  him  off,  that  he  did  tell  it ;  and  then 
he  said,  '  Well,  Phill  Maddox  always  was  a  true  un,  and  I'm 
mortal  sorry  that  he's  in  for't,  by  looking  a'ter  me.'  Now  do 
you  know  your  own  name  ?" 

"  I  certainly  do  not,"  replied  I. 

"  Well,  did  you  ever  hear  of  one  who  went  by  the  name  of 
Phill  Maddox?" 

"  I  never  did,"  replied  I ;  "  and  I  am  glad  that  Ogle  has  dis- 
closed so  much." 

"  Well,  I  never  before  met  with  a  man  who  did'nt  know  his 
own  name,  or  had  the  face  to  say  so,  and  expect  to  be  believed  ; 
but  never  mind,  you  are  right  to  be  cautious,  with  the  haltei 
looking  you  in  the  face  " 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  303 

"  0  God  !  0  God  1"  exclaimed  I,  throwing  myself  on  the  bed- 
stead, and  covering  up  my  face,  "give  me  strength  to  bear  even 
that,  if  so  it  mast  be." 

The  gaolor  looked  at  me  for  a  time.  "  I  don't  know  what  tc 
make  of  him — he  puzzles  me  quite,  certainly.  Yet  it's  DO 
mistake." 

"  It  is  a  mistake,"  replied  I,  rising ;  "  but  whether  the  mis- 
take will  be  found  out  until  too  late,  is  another  point.  How- 
ever, it  is  of  little  consequence.  What  have  I  to  live  for, — 
unless  to  find  out  who  is  my  father  ?" 

"  Find  out  your  father  1  what's  in  the  wind  now  ?  well,  it 
beats  my  comprehension  altogether.  But  did  not  you  say  you 
wished  me  to  get  you  something  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  I ;  and  I  gave  him  some  money,  with  direc- 
tions to  purchase  me  implements  for  writing,  some  scented  wax 
a  tooth-brush,  and  tooth-powder,  eau  de  cologne,  hair-brush  and 
comb,  razors,  small  looking-glass,  and  various  implements  for 
my  toilet. 

"  This  is  a  rum  world,"  said  the  man,  repeating  what  I  asked 
for,  as  I  put  two  guineas  in  his  hand.  "  I've  purchased  many 
an  article  for  a  prisoner,  but  never  heard  of  such  rattletraps 
afore  ;  however,  that  be  all  the  same.  You  will  have  them, 
though  what  ho  de  colum  is  I  can't  tell,  nor  dang  me  if  I  shall 
recollect — not  poison,  be  it,  for  that  is  not  allowed  in  the 
prison  ?" 

"  No,  no,"  replied  I,  indulging  in  momentary  mirth  at  the 
idea  ;  "  you  may  inquire,  and  you  will  find  that  it's  only  taken 
by  ladies  who  are  troubled  with  the  vapours." 

"  Now  I  should  ha'  thought  that  you'd  have  spent  your 
money  in  the  cookshop,  which  is  so  much  more  natural.  How- 
ever, we  all  have  our  fancies  ;"  so  saying,  he  quitted  the  cell, 
mid  locked  the  door. 


304  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 


CHAPTER  LX. 

I    AM    CONDEMNED   TO    BE    HUNG    BY   THE    NECK    UNTIL    I    AM   DEAD, 
AND   TO    GO    OUT    OF   THE    WORLD   WITHOUT    FINDING    OUT  WHO    13 

MY    f  ATHER AFTERWARDS    MY    INNOCENCE   IS    MADE    MANIFEST. 

AND    I   AM   TURNED    ADRIFT   A    MANIAC    IN  THE    HIGH    ROAD. 

IT  may  appear  strange  to  the  reader  that  I  seni  for  the  above 
mentioned  articles,  but  habit  is  second  nature,  and  although 
two  days  before,  when  I  set  out  on  my  pilgrimage,  I  had  re- 
solved to  discard  tnese  superfluities,  yet  now  in  my  distress  I 
felt  as  if  they  would  comfort  me.  That  evening,  after  rectifying 
a  few  mistakes  on  the  part  of  the  good-tempered  gaoler,  by 
writing  down  what  I  wanted  on  the  paper  which  he  had  pro- 
cured me,  I  obtained  all  that  I  required. 

The  next  morning  he  informed  me  that  the  grand  jnry  had 
found  a  true  bill  against  me,  and  that  on  the  Saturday  next  the 
assizes  would  be  held.  He  also  brought  me  the  list  of  trials, 
and  I  found  that  mine  would  be  one  of  the  last,  and  would  not 
probably  come  on  until  Monday  or  Tuesday.  I  requested  him 
to  send  for  a  good  tailor,  as  I  wished  to  be  dressed  in  a  propei 
manner,  previous  to  appearing  in  court.  As  a  prisoner  if 
allowed  to  go  into  court  in  his  own  clothes  instead  of  the  gaol 
dress,  this  was  consented  to  ;  and  when  the  man  came,  I  was 
very  particular  hi  my  directions,  so  much  so,  that  it  surprised 
him.  He  also  procured  me  the  other  articles  I  required  to 
complete  my  dreae,  and  on  Saturday  night  I  had  them  all  ready; 
for  I  was  resolved  that  I  would  at  least  die  as  a  gentleman. 

Sunday  passed  away,  not  as  it  ought  to  have  passed,  certainly. 
1  attended  prayers,  but  my  thoughts  were  elsewhere — how, 
indeed,  could  it  be  otherwise  ?  Who  can  control  his  thoughts  ? 
He  may  attempt  so  to  do,  but  the  attempt  is  all  that  can  be 
made.  He  cannot  command  them.  I  heard  nothing,  my  mind 
•vas  in  a  state  of  gyration,  whirling  round  from  one  thing  to  the 
other,  until  I  was  giddy  from  intensity  of  feeling. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  305 

On  Monday  morning  the  gaoler  came  and  asked  me  whether 
I  would  have  legal  advice.  I  replied  in  the  negative.  "  You 
will  be  called  about  twelve  o'clock,  I  hear,"  continued  he  ;  "  it 
is  now  ten,  and  there  is  only  one  more  trial  before  yours,  about 
the  stealing  of  four  geese,  and  half  a  dozen  fowls." 

"Good  God  !"  thought  I,  "and  am  I  mixed  up  with  such 
deeds  as  these  ?"  I  dressed  myself  with  the  utmost  care  and 
precision,  and  never  was  more  successful.  My  clothes  were 
black,  and  fitted  well.  About  one  o'clock  I  was  summoned  by 
the  gaoler,  and  led  between  him  and  another  to  the  court- 
house, and  placed  in  the  dock.  At  first  my  eyes  swam,  and  I 
could  distinguish  nothing,  but  gradually  I  recovered.  I  looked 
round,  for  I  had  called  up  my  courage.  My  eyes  wandered 
from  the  judge  to  the  row  of  legal  gentlemen  below  him  ;  from 
them  to  the  well-dressed  ladies  who  sat  in  the  gallery  above  ; 
behind  me  I  did  not  look.  I  had  seen  enough,  and  my  cheeks 
burnt  with  shame.  At  last  I  looked  at  my  fellow-culprit,  who 
stood  beside  me,  and  his  eyes  at  the  same  time  met  mine.  He 
was  dressed  in  the  gaol  clothes,  of  pepper  and  salt  coarse  cloth. 
He  was  a  rough,  vulgar,  brutal-looking  man,  but  his  eye  was 
brilliant,  his  complexion  was  dark,  and  his  face  was  covered 
with  whiskers.  "  Good  heavens  !"  thought  I,  "  who  will  ever 
imagine  or  credit  that  we  have  been  associates  ?" 

The  man  stared  at  me,  bit  his  lip,  and  smiled  with  contempt, 
but  made  no  further  remark.  The  indictment  having  been  read, 
the  clerk  of  the  court  cried  out,  "  You,  Benjamin  Ogle,  having 
heard  the  charge,  say,  guilty  or  not  guilty  ?" 

"  Not  guilty,"  replied  the  man,  to  ray  astonishment. 

"  You,  Philip  Maddox,  guilty  or  not  guilty  ?" 

I  did  not  answer. 

"  Prisoner,"  observed  the  judge  in  a  mild  voice,  "  yon  must 
answer,  guilty  or  not  guilty.  It  is  merely  a  form." 

"  My  lord,"  replied  I,  "  My  name  is  not  Philip  Mnddox." 

"That  is  the  name  given  in  the  indictment  by  the  evidence 
Df  your  fellow-prisoner,"  observed  the  judge  ;  "  your  real  namo 
we  cannot  pretend  to  know.  It  is  sufficient  that  you  answer 


306  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

to  the  question  of  whether  you,  the  prisoner,  are  guilty  or  not 
guilty." 

"  Not  guilty,  my  lord,  most  certainly,"  replied  I,  placing  my 
hand  to  my  heart,  and  bowing  to  him. 

The  trial  proceeded  ;  Armstrong  was  the  principal  evidence. 
To  my  person  he  would  not  swear.  The  Jew  proved  my  sell- 
ing my  clothes,  purchasing  those  found  in  the  bundle,  and  the 
Btir.k,  of  which  Armstrong  possessed  himself.  The  clothes  I 
had  on  at  the  time  of  my  capture  were  produced  in  court. 
As  for  Ogle,  his  case  was  decisive.  We  were  then  called  upon 
for  our  defence.  Ogle's  was  very  short.  "  He  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  fits  all  his  life — was  walking  to  Hounslow,  and  had 
fallen  down  in  a  fit.  It  must  have  been  somebody  else  who 
had  committed  the  robbery,  and  had  made  off,  and  he  had  been 
picked  up  in  a  mistake."  This  defence  appeared  to  make  no 
other  impression  than  ridicule  and  indignation  at  the  barefaced 
assertion.  I  was  then  called  on  for  mine. 

"  My  lord,"  said  I,  "  I  have  no  defence  to  make  except  that 
which  I  asserted  before  the  magistrates,  that  I  was  performing 
an  act  of  charity  towards  a  fellow-creature,  and  was,  through 
that,  supposed  to  be  an  accomplice.  Arraigned  before  so  many 
upon  a  charge,  at  the  bare  accusation  of  which  my  blood 
revolts,  I  cannot  and  will  not  allow  those  who  might  prove 
what  my  life  has  been,  and  the  circumstances  which  induced  me 
to  take  up  the  disguise  in  which  I  was  taken,  to  appear  in  my 
behalf.  I  am  unfortunate,  but  not  guilty.  One  only  chance 
o,ppears  to  be  open  to  me,  which  is,  in  the  candour  of  the  party 
who  now  stands  by  me.  If  he  will  say  to  the  court  that  he 
ever  saw  me  before,  I  will  submit  without  murmur  to  my  sen- 
tence." 

"  I'm  sorry  that  you've  put  that  question,  my  boy,'  replied 
the  man,  "  for  I  have  seen  you  before  ;"  and  the  wretchc  buckled 
with  repressed  laughter. 

I  was  so  astonished,  so  thunderstruck  with  this  assertion, 
that  I  held  down  my  head,  and  made  no  reply.  The  judge 
then  summed  up  the  evidence  to  the  jury,  pointing  out  to  them 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          307 

that  of  Ogle's  guilt  there  could  be  no  doubt,  and  of  mine,  ho 
was  sorry  to  say,  but  little.  Still  they  must  bear  in  mind  that 
the  witness  Armstrong  could  not  swear  to  my  person.  The 
jury,  without  leaving  the  box,  consulted  together  a  short  time, 
and  brought  in  a  verdict  of  guilty  against  Benjamin  Ogle  and 
Philip  Maddox.  I  heard  no  more — the  judge  sentenced  us 
both  to  execution  :  he  lamented  that  so  young  and  prepossess- 
ing a  person  as  myself  should  be  about  to  suffer  for  such  aii 
offence :  he  pointed  out  the  necessity  of  condign  punishment, 
and  gave  us  no  hopes  of  pardon  or  clemency.  But  I  heard  him 
not — I  did  not  fall,  but  I  was  in  a  state  of  stupor.  At  last,  he 
wound  up  his  sentence  by  praying  us  to  prepare  ourselves  for 

the  awful  change,  by  an  appeal  to  that  heavenly  Father 

"  Father  1"  exclaimed  I,  in  a  voice  which  electrified  the  court, 
"  did  you  say  my  father  ?  0  God  !  where  is  he  ?"  and  I  fell 
down  in  a  fit.  The  handkerchiefs  of  the  ladies  were  applied 
to  their  faces,  the  whole  court  were  moved,  for  I  had,  by  my 
appearance,  excited  considerable  interest,  and  the  judge,  with 
a  faltering,  subdued  voice,  desired  that  the  prisoners  might  be 
removed. 

"  Stop  one  minute,  my  good  fellow,"  said  Ogle  to  the 
gaoler,  while  others  were  taking  me  out  of  court.  "  My  lord, 
I've  something  rather  important  to  say.  Why  I  did  not  say 
it  before  you  shall  hear.  You  are  a  judge,  to  condemn  the 
guilty,  and  release  the  innocent.  We  are  told  that  there  is 
110  trial  like  an  English  jury,  but  this  I  say,  that  many  a  mau 
is  hung  for  what  he  never  has  been  guilty  of.  You  have 
condemned  that  poor  young  man  to  death.  I  could  havo 
prevented  it  if  I  had  chosen  to  speak  before,  but  I  would  not, 
that  I  might  prove  how  little  there  is  of  justice,  lie  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  robbery — Phill  Maddox  was  the  mau, 
and  he  is  not  Philip  Maddox.  He  said  that  he  never  saw 
me  before,  nor  do  I  believe  that  he  ever  did.  As  sure  as  1 
shall  liau.tr,  he  is  innocent." 

14  It  was  but  now,  that  when  appealed  to  by  him,  you  stated 
that  you  had  seen  him  before." 


308  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER. 

"So  I  did,  and  I  told  the  truth — I  had  seen  him  before. 
I  saw  him  go  to  hold  the  gentleman's  horse,  but  he  did  not 
Bee  me.  I  stole  his  bundle  and  his  stick,  which  he  left  on 
the  bench,  and  that's  how  they  were  found  in  our  possession. 
Now  you  hare  the  truth,  and  you  may  either  acknowledge 
that  there  is  little  justice,  by  eating  your  own  words,  and 
letting  him  free,  or  you  may  hang  him,  rather  than  acknow- 
ledge that  you  are  wrong.  At  all  events,  his  blood  will  now 
be  on  your  hands,  and  not  mine.  If  Phill  Maddox  had  not 
turned  tail,  like  a  coward,  I  should  not  have  been  here  ; 
BO  I  tell  the  truth  to  save  him  who  was  doing  me  a  kind  act, 
and  to  let  him  swing  who  left  me  in  the  lurch." 

The  judge  desired  that  this  statement  might  be  taken  down, 
that  further  inquiry  might  be  made,  intimating  to  the  jury, 
that  I  should  be  respited  for  the  present  ;  but  of  all  this  I  was 
ignorant.  As  there  was  no  placing  confidence  in  the  assertions 
of  such  a  man  as  Ogle,  it  was  considered  necessary  that  he 
should  repeat  his  assertions  at  the  last  hour  of  his  existence, 
and  the  gaoler  was  ordered  not  to  state  what  had  passed  to 
me,  as  he  might  excite  false  hopes. 

When  I  recovered  from  my  fit,  I  found  myself  in  the 
gaoler's  parlor,  and  as  soon  as  I  was  able  to  walk,  I  was 
locked  up  in  a  condemned  cell.  The  execution  had  been 
ordered  to  take  place  on  the  Thursday,  and  I  had  two 
days  to  prepare.  In  the  mean  time,  the  greatest  interest  had 
been  excited  with  regard  to  me.  My  whole  appearance  so 
evidently  belied  the  charge,  that  every  one  was  in  my  favour. 
Ogle  was  requestioned,  and  immediately  gave  a  clue  for  the 
apprehension  of  Maddox,  who,  he  said,  he  hoped  would  swing 
by  his  side. 

The  gaoler  came  to  me  the  next  day,  saying,  that  some  oi 
the  magistrates  wished  to  speak  with  me  ;  but  as  I  had  mado 
up  my  mind  not  to  reveal  my  former  life,  my  only  reply  was, 
"That  I  begged  they  would  allow  me  to  have  my  last  moments 
to  myself."  I  recollected  Melchior's  idea  of  destiny,  and 
imagined  that  he  was  right.  "  It  was  my  destiny,"  thought 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  309 

I ;  and  I  remained  in  a  state  of  stupor.  The  fact  was,  that 
I  was  very  ill,  my  head  was  heavy,  my  brain  was  on  fire,  and 
the  throbbing  of  my  heart  could  have  been  perceived  without 
touching  my  breast. 

I  remained  on  the  mattress  all  day,  and  all  the  next  nightj 
with  my  face  buried  in  the  clothes  !  I  was  too  ill  to  raise  my 
head.  On  Wednesday  morning  I  felt  myself  gently  pushed 
on  the  shoulder  by  some  one  ;  I  opened  my  eyes  ;  it  was  a 
clergyman.  I  turned  away  my  head,  and  remained  as  before. 
I  was  then  in  a  violent  fever.  He  spoke  for  some  time  ;  occa- 
sionally I  heard  a  word,  and  then  relapsed  into  a  state  of 
mental  imbecility.  He  sighed,  and  went  away. 

Thursday  came,  and  the  hour  of  death, — but  time  was  by  me 
unheeded,  as  well  as  eternity.  In  the  mean  time  Maddox  had 
been  taken,  and  the  contents  of  Armstrong's  bundle  found  in 
his  possession  ;  and  when  he  discovered  that  Ogle  had  been 
evidence  against  him,  he  confessed  to  the  robbery. 

Whether  it  was  on  Thursday  or  Friday  I  knew  not  then, 
but  I  was  lifted  off  the  bed,  and  taken  before  somebody — some- 
thing passed,  but  the  fever  had  mounted  up  to  my  head,  and  I 
was  in  a  state  of  stupid  delirium.  Strange  to  say,  they  did  not 
perceive  my  condition,  but  ascribed  it  all  to  abject  fear  of 
death.  I  was  led  away.  I  had  made  no  answer — but  I  was 
free. 


CHAPTER   LXI. 

WHEN  AT  THE  LOWEST  SPOKE  OF  FORTUNE'S  WHEEL,  ONE  IS  SURE 
TO  RISE  AS  IT  TURNS  ROUND — I  RECOVER  MY  SENSES,  AND  FIND 
MYSELF  AMONGST  FRIENDS. 

I  THINK  some  people  shook  me  by  the  hand,  and  others  shouted 
as  I  walked  in  the  open  air,  but  I  recollect  no  more.  1  after- 
wards was  informed  that  I  had  been  reprieved,  that  1  had 
been  sent  for,  and  a  long  exhortation  delivered  to  me,  for  it 


310  JAPHEr,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

was  considered  that  my  life  must  have  been  one  of  error,  or  I 
should  have  applied  to  my  friends,  and  have  given  my  name. 
My  not  answering  was  attributed  to  shame  and  confusion — my 
glassy  eye  had  not  been  noticed — my  tottering  step  when  led 
in  by  the  gaolers  attributed  to  other  causes  ;  and  the  magis- 
trates shook  their  heads  as  I  was  led  out  of  their  presence. 
The  gaoler  had  asked  me  several  tunes  where  I  intended  to  go. 
At  last,  I  had  told  him,  to  seek  my  father,  and  darting  away 
from  him  I  had  run  like  a  madman  down  the  street.  Of 
course  he  had  no  longer  any  power  over  me  :  but  he  mut- 
tered as  I  fled  from  him,  "  I've  a  nouon  he'll  soon  be  locked 
up  again,  poor  fellow  1  it's  turned  his  brain  for  certain." 

As  I  tottered  along,  my  unsteady  step  naturally  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  passers  by  ;  but  they  attributed  it  to 
intoxication.  Thus  was  I  allowed  to  wander  away  in  a  state 
of  madness,  and  before  night  I  was  far  from  the  town.  What 
passed,  and  whither  I  had  bent  my  steps,  I  cannot  tell.  All 
I  know  is,  that  after  running  like  a  maniac,  seizing  every  body 
by  the  arm  that  I  met,  staring  at  them  with  wild  and  flashing 
eyes  ;  and  sometimes  in  a  solemn  voice,  at  others,  in  a  loud, 
threatening  tone,  startling  them  with  the  interrogatory,  "  Are 
you  my  father?"  and  then  darting  away,  or  sobbing  like  a 
child,  as  the  humour  took  me,  I  had  crossed  the  country  ;  and 
three  days  afterwards  I  was  picked  up  at  the  door  of  a  house 
in  the  town  of  Reading,  exhausted  with  fatigue  and  exposure, 
and  nearly  dead.  When  I  recovered,  I  found  myself  in  bed, 
my  head  shaved,  my  arm  bound  up,  after  repeated  bleedings, 
and  a  female  figure  sitting  by  me. 

"  God  in  heaven  !  where  am  I  ?"  exclaimed  I,  faintly. 

"  Thou  hast  called  often  upon  thy  earthly  father  during  the 
time  of  thy  illness,  friend,"  replied  a  soft  voice.  "  It  rejoiceth 
me  much  to  hear  thee  call  upon  thy  Father  which  is  in  heaven. 
Be  comforted,  thou  art  in  the  hands  of  those  who  will  be  mind- 
ful of  thee.  Offer  up  thy  thanks  in  one  short  prayer,  for  thy 
return  to  reason,  and  then  sink  again  into  repose,  for  chou 
must  need  it  much." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          311 

I  opened  my  eyes  wide,  and  perceived  that  a  young  person 
in  a  Quaker's  dress  was  sitting  by  the  bed  working  with  her 
needle  ;  an  open  Bible  was  on  a  little  table  before  her.  I  per- 
ceived also  a  cup,  and  parched  with  thirst,  I  merely  said  "  Give 
me  to  drink."  She  arose,  and  put  a  teaspoon  to  my  lips  ;  but  I 
raised  my  hand,  took  the  cup  from  her,  and  emptied  it.  0  how 
delightful  was  that  draught  1  I  sank  down  on  my  pillow,  for 
even  that  slight  exertion  had  overpowered  me,  and  muttering, 
"  God,  I  thank  thee  !"  I  was  immediately  in  a  sound  sleep, 
from  which  I  did  not  awake  for  many  hours.  When  I  did,  it 
was  not  daylight.  A  lamp  was  on  the  table,  and  an  old  man 
in  a  Quaker's  dress  was  snoring  very  comfortably  in  the  arm- 
chair. I  felt  quite  refreshed  with  my  long  sleep,  and  was  now 
able  to  recall  what  had  passed.  I  remembered  the  condemned 
cell  and  the  mattress  upon  which  I  lay,  but  all  after  was  in  a 
state  of  confusion.  Here  and  there  a  fact  or  supposition  was 
strong  in  my  memory  ;  but  the  intervals  between  were  total 
blanks.  I  was,  at  all  events,  free,  that  I  felt  convinced  of,  and 
that  I  was  in  the  hands  of  the  sect  who  denominated  them- 
selves Quakers  :  but  where  was  I  ?  and  how  did  I  come  here  ? 
I  remained  thinking  on  the  past,  and  wondering,  until  the  day 
broke,  and  with  the  daylight  roused  up  my  watchful  attendant. 
He  yawned,  stretched  his  arms,  and  rising  from  the  chair,  came 
to  the  side  of  my  bed.  I  looked  him  in  the  face.  "  Hast  thou 
slept  well,  friend  ?"  said  he. 

"  I  have  slept  as  much  as  I  wish,  and  would  not  disturb 
you,"  replied  I,  "  for  I  wanted  nothing." 

"  Peradventure  I  did  sleep,"  replied  the  man  ;  "  watching 
long  agreeth  not  with  the  flesh,  although  the  spirit  is  most  will- 
ing. Requirest  thou  anything  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  I,  "  I  wish  to  know  where  I  am  ?" 

"  Verily,  thou  art  in  the  town  of  Reading,  in  Berkshire,  and 
i:i  the  house  of  Pheneas  Cophagus." 

"  Cophagus  1"  exclaimed  I ;  "  Mr.  Cophagus  the  surgeon  nnd 
apothecary  ?" 

"  Phcneas  Copliagus  is  his  name  ;  he  hath  been  admitted  into 


312  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

our  sect,  and  hath  married  a  daughter  of  our  persuasion.  He 
hath  attended  thee  in  thy  fever  and  thy  frenzy,  without  calling 
in  the  aid  of  the  physician,  therefore  do  I  believe  that  he  must 
be  the  man  of  whom  thou  speakest  ;  yet  doth  he  not  follow  up 
the  healing  art  for  the  lucre  of  gain." 

"And  the  young  person  who  was  at  my  bed-side,  is  she  his 
wife  Y> 

"Xay,  friend,  she  is  half-sister  to  the  wife  of  Pheneas 
Cophagus  by  a  second  marriage,  and  a  maiden,  who  was  named 
Susannah  Temple  at  the  baptismal  font ;  but  I  will  go  to 
Pheneas  Cophagus  and  acquaint  him  of  your  waking,  for  such 
were  his  directions." 

The  man  then  quitted  the  room,  leaving  me  quite  astonished 
with  the  information  he  had  imparted.  Cophagus  turned 
Quaker  !  and  attending  me  in  the  town  of  Reading.  In  a 
short  time  Mr.  Cophagus  himself  entered  in  his  dressing-gown. 
"  Japhet !"  said  he,  seizing  my  hand  with  eagerness,  and  then, 
as  if  recollecting,  he  checked  himself,  and  commenced  in  a  slow 
tone,  "  Japhet  Newland — truly  glad  am  I — hum — verily  do  I 
rejoice — you,  Ephraim  get  out  of  the  room — and  so  on." 

"  Yea,  I  will  depart  since  it  is  thy  bidding,"  replied  the  man, 
quitting  the  room. 

Mr.  Cophagus  then  greeted  me  in  his  usual  way — told  me 
that  he  had  found  me  insensible  at  the  door  of  a  house  a  little 
way  off,  and  had  immediately  recognized  me.  He  had  brought 
me  to  his  own  home,  but  without  much  hope  of  my  recovery. 
He  then  begged  to  know  by  what  strange  chance  I  had  been 
found  in  such  a  desolate  condition.  I  replied,  "  that  although 
I  was  able  to  listen,  I  did  not  feel  myself  equal  to  the  exertion 
of  telling  so  long  a  story,  and  that  I  should  infinitely  prefer 
that  he  should  narrate  to  me  what  had  passed  since  we  had 
parted  at  Dublin,  and  how  it  was  that  I  now  found  that  he 
had  joined  the  sect  of  Quakers." 

"  Peradventure — long  word  that — um — queer  people — very 
good — and  so  on,"  commenced  Mr.  Cophagus  ;  but  as  the 
reader  will  not  understand  his  phraseology  quite  so  well 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  313 

as  I  did,  I  shall  give  Mr  Cophagus's  history  in  my  own 
version. 

Mr.  Cophagus  had  returned  to  the  small  town  at  which  he 
resided,  aud  on  his  arrival,  he  had  been  called  upon  by  a  gentle- 
man who  was  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  requesting  that  he 
would  prescribe  for  a  niece  of  his,  who  was  on  a  visit  at  his 
house,  and  had  been  taken  dangerously  ill.  Cophagus  with  his 
usual  kindness  of  heart,  immediately  consented,  and  found  that 
Mr.  Temple's  report  was  true.  For  six  weeks  he  attended  the 
young  Quakeress,  and  recovered  her  from  an  imminent  and 
painful  disease,  in  which  she  showed  such  fortitude  aud  resigna- 
tion, and  such  unconquerable  good  temper,  that  when  Mr. 
Cophagus  returned  to  his  bachelor's  establishment,  he  could  not 
help  reflecting  upon  what  an  invaluable  wife  she  would  make, 
and  how  much  more  cheerful  his  house  would  be  with  such  a 
domestic  partner. 

In  short,  Mr.  Cophagus  fell  in  love,  and  like  all  elderly  gen- 
tlemen who  have  so  long  bottled  up  their  affections,  he  became 
most  desperately  enamoured  ;  and  if  he  loved  Miss  Judith 
Temple  when  he  witnessed  her  patience  and  resignation  under 
suffering,  how  much  more  did  he  love  her  when  he  found  that 
she  was  playful,  merry,  and  cheerful,  without  being  boisterous, 
when  restored  to  her  health.  Mr.  Cophagus's  attentions  could 
not  be  misunderstood.  He  told  her  uncle  that  he  had  thought 
seriously  of  wedding  cake — white  favours — marriage — family — 
and  so  on  ;  and  to  the  young  lady  he  had  put  his  cane  up  to 
his  nose  and  prescribed,  "  A  dose  of  matrimony — to  be  taken 
immediately."  To  Mr.  Cophagus  there  was  no  objection  raised 
by  the  lady,  who  was  not  in  her  teens,  or  by  the  uncle,  who  had 
always  respected  him  as  a  worthy  man,  and  a  good  Christian  ; 
but  to  marry  one  who  was  not  of  her  persuasion,  was  not 
to  be  thought  of.  Her  friends  would  not  consent  to  it.  Mr. 
Cophagus  was  therefore  dismissed,  with  a  full  assurance  that 
the  only  objection  which  offered  was  that  he  was  not  of  their 
society. 

Mr.  Cophagus  walked  home  discomforted,  lie  sat  down  on 

14 


814  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER. 

his  easy  chair,  and  found  it  excessively  uneasy — he  sat  down  to 
his  solitary  meal,  and  found  that  his  own  company  was  unbear- 
able— he  went  to  bed,  but  found  that  it  was  impossible  to  go  to 
sleep.  The  next  morning,  therefore,  Mr.  Cophagus  returned 
to  Mr.  Temple,  and  stated  his  wish  to  be  made  acquainted  with 
the  difference  between  the  tenets  of  the  Quaker  persuasion  and 
those  of  the  Established  Church.  Mr.  Temple  gave  him  an 
outline,  which  appeared  to  Mr.  Cophagus  to  be  very  satisfac- 
tory, and  then  referred  him  to  his  niece  for  fuller  particulars. 
When  a  man  enters  into  an  argument  with  a  full  desire  to  be 
convinced,  and  with  his  future  happiness  perhaps  depending 
upon  that  conviction  ;  and  when,  further,  those  arguments  are 
brought  forward  by  one  of  the  prettiest  voices,  and  backed  by 
the  sweetest  of  smiles,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  his  soon  be- 
coming a  proselyte.  Thus  it  was  with  Mr.  Cophagus,  who  in  a 
week  discovered  that  the  peace,  humility,  and  good-will  upon 
which  the  Quaker  tenets  are  founded,  were  much  more  con 
genial  to  the  true  spirit  of  the  Christian  revelation  than  the 
Athanasian  Creed,  to  be  sung  or  said  in  our  Established 
Churches  ;  and  with  this  conviction,  Mr.  Cophagus  requested 
admission  into  the  fraternity  ;  and  shortly  after  his  admission, 
it  was  thought  advisable  by  the  Friends  that  his  faith  should 
be  confirmed  and  strengthened  by  his  espousal  of  Miss  Judith 
Temple,  with  whom,  at  her  request — and  he  could  refuse  her 
nothing — he  had  repaired  to  the  town  of  Reading,  in  which  her 
relations  all  resided  ;  and  Pheneas  Cophagus,  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  declared  himself  to  be  as  happy  as  a  man  could  be. 
Good  people,  Japhet — um — honest  people,  Japhet — don't  fight 
— little  stiff — spirit  moves — and  so  on,"  said  Mr.  Cophagus,  as 
he  concluded  his  narrative,  and  then  shaking  me  by  the  hand, 
retired  to  shave  and  dress. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER  315 


CHAPTER    LXII. 

1  FALL  IN  LOVE   WITH  RELIGION  WHEN  PREACHRD   BY    ONE  WHO  HA3 
THE  FORM  OF  AN  ANGEL. 

IN  half  an  hour  afterwards  Ephraim  came  in  with  a  draught, 
which  I  was  desired  to  take  by  Mr.  Cophagus,  and  then  to  try 
and  sleep.  This  was  good  advice,  and  I  followed  it.  I  awoke, 
after  a  long,  refreshing  sleep,  and  found  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Copha- 
gus sitting  in  the  room,  she  at  work  and  he  occupied  with  a 
book.  When  I  opened  my  eyes,  and  perceived  a  female,  I 
looked  to  ascertain  if  it  was  the  young  person  whom  Ephraim 
had  stated  to  be  Susannah  Temple  ;  not  that  I  recollected  her 
features  exactly,  but  I  did  the  contour  of  her  person.  Mrs. 
Cophagus  was  taller,  and  I  had  a  fair  scrutiny  of  her  before 
they  perceived  that  I  was  awake.  Her  face  was  very  pleasing, 
features  small  and  regular.  She  appeared  to  be  about  thirty 
years  of  age,  and  was  studiously  neat  and  clean  in  her  person. 
Her  Quaker's  dress  was  not  without  some  little  departure  from 
the  strict  fashion  and  form,  sufficient  to  assist,  without  deviat- 
ing from,  its  simplicity.  If  I  might  use  the  term,  it  was  a  little 
coquetish,  and  evinced  that  the  wearer,  had  she  not  belonged  to 
that  sect,  would  have  shown  great  taste  in  the  adornment  of 
her  person. 

Mr.  Cophagus,  although  he  did  not  think  so  himself,  as  1 
afterwards  found  out,  was  certainly  much  improved  by  his 
change  of  costume.  His  spindle  shanks,  which,  as  I  have 
before  observed,  were  peculiarly  at  variance  with  his  little 
orbicular,  orange-shaped  stomach,  were  now  concealed  in  loose 
trowsere,  which  took  off  from  the  protuberance  of  the  latter, 
and  added  dignity  to  the  former,  blending  the  two  together,  so 
that  his  roundness  became  fine  by  degrees,  and  beautifully  less 
as  it  descended.  Altogether,  the  Quaker  dress  added  very 
much  to  the  substantiability  of  his  appearance,  and  wa§  a 
manifest  improvement,  especially  when  he  wore  his  broad- 


316  JiPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

brimmed  hat.  Having  satisfied  my  curiosity,  I  moved  the  cur. 
tain  so  as  to  attract  their  attention,  and  Cophagus  came  to  my 
bedside,  and  felt  my  pulse.  "  Good — very  good — all  right — 
little  broth — throw  in  bark — on  his  legs — well  as  ever — and  so 
on." 

"  I  am  indeed  much  better  this  afternoon,"  replied  I ; 
"  indeed,  so  well,  that  I  feel  as  if  I  could  get  up." 

"  Pooh : — tumfcle  down — never  do — lie  a  bed — get  strong — 
wife — Mrs  Cophagus — Japhet — old  friend." 

Mrs.  Cophagus  had  risen  from  her  chair,  and  come  towards 
the  bed,  when  her  husband  introduced  her  in  his  own  fashion. 
"  I  am  afraid  that  I  have  been  a  great  trouble,  madam," 
gaidl. 

"  Japhet  Newland,  we  have  done  but  our  duty,  even  if  thou 
wert  not,  as  it  appears  that  thou  art,  a  friend  of  my  husband. 
Consider  me,  therefore,  as  thy  sister,  and  I  will  regard  thee  as 
a  brother  ;  and  if  thou  wouldst  wish  it,  thou  shalt  sojourn 
with  us,  for  so  hath  my  husband  communicated  his  wishes  unto 
me." 

I  thanked  her  for  her  kind  expressions,  and  took  the  fair 
hand  which  was  offered  in  such  amity.  Cophagus  then  asked 
me  if  I  was  well  enough  to  inform  him  of  what  had  passed  since 
our  last  meeting,  and  telling  me  that  his  wife  knew  my  whole 
history,  and  that  I  might  speak  before  her,  he  took  his  seat  by 
the  side  of  the  bed,  his  wife  also  drew  her  chair  nearer,  and 
I  commenced  the  narrative  of  what  had  passed  since  we  parted 
in  Ireland.  When  I  had  finished,  Mr.  Cophagus  commenced 
as  usual,  "  Um — very  odd — lose  money — bad — grow  honest — 
good — run  away  from  friends — bad — not  hung — good — brain 
fever — bad — come  here — good — stay  with  us — quite  comforta- 
ble— and  so  on." 

"  Thou  hast  suffered  much,  friend  Japhet,"  said  Mrs.  Cop- 
hagus, wiping  her  eyes  ;  "  and  I  would  almost  venture  to  say, 
hast  been  chastised  too  severely,  were  it  not  that  those  whom 
He  loveth,  He  chastiseth.  Still  thou  art  saved,  and  now 
out  of  danger  ;  peradventure  thou  wilt  now  quit  a  vain  world. 


TAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  317 

and  be  content  to  live  with  us  ;  nay,  as  thou  hast  the  example 
of  thy  former  master,  it  may  perhaps  please  the  Lord  to  advise 
thee  to  become  one  of  us,  and  to  join  us  as  a  Friend.  My 
husband  was  persuaded  to  the  right  path  by  me,"  continued 
she,  looking  fondly  at  him  ;  "  who  knoweth  but  some  of  out 
maidens  may  also  persuade  thee  to  eschew  a  vain,  unrighteous 
world,  and  follow  thy  Redeemer  in  humility  ?" 

"Very  true — urn — very  true,"  observed  Cophagus,  putting 
more  Quakerism  than  usual  in  his  style,  and  drawing  out  hia 
urns  to  treble  their  usual  length  ;  "  Happy  life — Japhet — um — 
all  at  peace — quiet  amusements — think  about  it — um — no  hurry 
— never  swear — by-and-by,  heh  ! — spirit  may  move — um — not 
now — talk  about  it — get  well — set  up  shop — and  so  on." 

I  was  tired  with  talking  so  much,  and  having  taken  some 
nourishment,  again  fell  asleep.  Wheu  I  awoke  in  the  evening, 
friend  Cophagus  and  his  wife  were  not  in  the  room  ;  but 
Susannah  Temple,  whom  I  had  first  seen,  and  of  whom  I 
had  made  inquiry  of  Ephraim,  who  was  Cophagus's  servant. 
She  was  sitting  close  to  the  light  and  reading,  and  long  did 
I  continue  to  gaze  upon  her,  fearful  of  interrupting  her.  She 
was  the  most  beautiful  specimen  of  clear  and  transparent  white 
that  I  ever  had  beheld — her  complexion  was  unrivalled — her 
eyes  were  large,  but  I  could  not  ascertain  their  colour,  as  they 
were  cast  down  upon  her  book,  and  hid  by  her  long  fringed  eye- 
lashes— her  eyebrows  arched  and  regular,  as  if  drawn  by  a  pair 
of  compasses,  and  their  soft  hair  in  beautiful  contrast  with 
her  snowy  forehead, — her  hair  was  auburn,  but  mostly  con- 
tealed  within  her  cap — her  nose  was  very  straight  but  not  very 
large,  and  her  mouth  was  perfection.  She  appeared  to  be 
between  seventeen  and  eighteen  years  old,  as  far  as  I  could 
ascertain  :  her  figure  was  symmetrically  perfect.  Pressed  aa 
she  was  in  the  modest,  simple  garb  worn  by  the  females  of  tho 
Society  of  Friends,  she  gave  an  idea  of  neatness,  cleanliness, 
and  propriety  upon  which  I  could  have  gazed  for  ever.  She 
was,  indeed,  most  beautiful.  I  felt  her  beauty,  her  purity,  and 
I  could  have  worshipped  her  as  an  angel.  While  I  still  had  mj 


318  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER. 

eyes  fixed  upon  her  exquisite  features,  she  closed  her  book,  and 
rising  from  her  chair,  came  to  the  side  of  the  bed.  That  she 
might  not  be  startled  at  the  idea  of  my  having  been  watching 
her,  I  closed  my  eyes,  and  pretended  to  slumber.  She  resumed 
her  seat,  and  then  I  changed  ray  position  and  spoke,  "  Is  any 
one  there  ?" 

"  Yes,  friend  Newland,  what  is  that  thou  requirest  ?"  said 
ehe,  advancing.  "  Wouldst  thou  see  Cophagus  or  Ephraim  ? 
I  will  summon  them." 

"  0  no,"  replied  I  ;  "  why  should  I  disturb  them  from  their 
amusements  or  employments  ;  I  have  slept  a  long  while,  and  I 
would  like  to  read  a  little,  I  think,  if  my  eyes  are  not  too 
weak." 

"  Thou  must  not  read,  but  I  raay  read  unto  thee,"  replied 
Susannah.  "  Tell  me,  what  is  it  that  thou  wouldest  have  me 
read  ?  I  have  no  vain  books  ;  but  surely  thou  thinkest  not  of 
them,  after  thy  escape  from  death." 

"  I  care  not  what  is  read,  provided  that  you  read  to  me," 
replied  I. 

"  Nay,  but  thou  shouldest  care  :  and  be  not  wroth  if  I  say 
to  thee,  that  there  is  but  one  book  to  which  thou  shouldest  now 
listen.  Thou  hast  been  saved  from  deadly  peril — thou  hast 
been  rescued  from  the  jaws  of  death.  Art  thou  not  thankful  ? 
And  to  whom  is  gratitude  most  due,  but  to  thy  heavenly  Fa- 
ther, who  has  been  pleased  to  spare  thee  ?" 

"  You  are  right,"  replied  I ;  "  then  I  pray  you  to  read  to  me 
from  the  Bible." 

Susannah  made  no  reply,  but  resumed  her  seat ;  and  select- 
Ing  those  chapters  most  appropriate  to  my  situation,  read  them 
a  a  beautiful  auxl  impressive  tone 


JAPHZT,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  319 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 

PRIDE    AND    LOVE    AT    ISSUE THE    LATTER    IS    VICTORIOUS 1    TURN 

QUAKER,    AND    RECOMMENCE    MY    OLD    PROFESSION. 

IF  the  reader  will  recall  my  narrative  to  his  recollection,  he 
must  observe,  that  religion  had  had  hitherto  but  little  of  my 
thoughts.  I  had  lived  the  life  of  most  who  live  in  this  world  ; 
perhaps  not  quite  so  correct  in  morals  as  many  people,  for  my 
code  of  morality  was  suited  to  circumstances  ;  as  to  religion,  I 
had  none.  I  had  lived  in  the  world,  and  for  the  world.  I  had 
certainly  been  well  instructed  in  the  tenets  of  our  faith  when  I 
was  at  the  Asylum,  but  there,  as  in  most  other  schools,  it  is 
made  irksome,  as  a  task,  and  is  looked  upon  with  almost  a  feel- 
ing of  aversion.  No  proper  religious  sentiments  are,  or  can  be, 
inculcated  to  a  large  number  of  scholars  ;  it  is  the  parent  alone 
who  can  instil,  by  precept  and  example,  that  true  sense  of  reli- 
gion, which  may  serve  as  a  guide  through  life.  I  had  not  read 
the  Bible  from  the  time  that  I  quitted  the  Foundling  Hospital. 
It  was  new  to  me,  and  when  I  now  heard  read,  by  that  beauti- 
ful creature,  passages  equally  beautiful,  and  so  applicable  to  my 
situation,  weakened  by  disease,  and  humbled  in  adversity,  I  was 
moved,  even  unto  tears. 

Susannah  closed  the  book  and  came  to  the  bedside.  I 
thanked  her :  she  perceived  my  emotion,  and  when  I  held  out 
my  hand  she  did  not  refuse  hers.  I  kissed  it,  and  it  was  imme- 
diately withdrawn,  and  she  left  the  room.  Shortly  afterwards 
Ephraim  made  his  appearance.  Cophagus  and  his  wife  also 
came  that  evening,  but  I  saw  no  more  of  Susannah  Temple  until 
the  following  day,  when  I  again  requested  her  to  read  to  me. 

I  will  not  detain  the  reader  by  an  account  of  my  recovery. 
In  three  weeks  I  was  able  to  leave  the  room;  during  that  time 
I  had  become  very  intimate  with  the  whole  family,  and  waa 
treated  as  if  I  belonged  to  it.  During  my  illness  I  had  cer- 
tainly shown  more  sense  of  religion  than  I  had  ever  done  before, 


320  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHKR. 

but  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  I  was  really  religious.  I  liked  to 
hear  the  Bible  read  by  Susannah,  and  I  liked  to  talk  with  her 
upon  religious  subjects;  but  had  Susannah  been  an  ugly  old 
woman,  I  very  much  doubt  if  I  should  have  been  so  attentive. 
It  was  her  extreme  beauty — her  modesty  and  fervour,  which 
90  became  her,  which  enchanted  me.  I  felt  the  beauty  of 
religion,  but  it  was  through  an  earthly  object;  it  was  beautiful 
in  her.  She  looked  an  angel,  and  I  listened  to  her  precepts  as 
delivered  by  one.  Still,  whatever  may  be  the  cause  by  which 
a  person's  attention  can  be  directed  to  so  important  a  subject, 
so  generally  neglected,  whether  by  fear  of  death,  or  by  love 
towards  an  earthly  object,  the  advantages  are  the  same;  and 
although  very  far  from  what  I  ought  to  have  been,  I  certainly 
was,  through  my  admiration  of  her,  a  better  man. 

As  soon  as  I  was  on  the  sofa,  wrapped  up  in  one  of  the 
dressing-gowns  of  Mr.  Cophagus,  he  told  me  that  the  clothes 
in  which  I  had  been  picked  up  were  all  in  tatters,  and  asked 
me  whether  I  would  like  to  have  others  made  according  to  the 
usual  fashion,  or  like  those  with  whom  I  should,  he  trusted,  in 
future  reside.  I  had  already  debated  this  matter  in  my  mind. 
Return  to  the  world  I  had  resolved  not  to  do;  to  follow  up  the 
object  of  my  search  appeared  to  me  only  to  involve  me  in  diffi- 
culties; and  what  were  the  intentions  of  Cophagns  with  regard 
to  me,  I  knew  not.  I  was  hesitating,  for  I  knew  not  what 
answer  to  give,  when  I  perceived  the  pensive,  deep  blue  eye  of 
Susannah  fixed  upon  me,  watching  attentively,  if  not  eagerly, 
for  my  response. 

It  decided  the  point.  "If,"  replied  I,  "you  do  not  think 
that  I  should  disgrace  you,  I  should  wish  to  wear  the  dress  of 
the  Society  of  Friends,  although  not  yet  one  of  your  body." 

"  But  soon  to  be,  I  trust,"  replied  Mrs.  Cophagus. 

"Alas!"  replied  I,  "I  am  an  outcast;"  and  I  looked  at 
Susannah  Temple. 

"Not  so,  Japhet  Newland,"  replied  she,  mildly;  "  I  am 
pleased  that  thou  hast  of  thy  own  accord  rejected  vain  attiro 
I  trust  that  thou  wilt  not  find  that  thou  art  without  friends  " 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  321 

"  While  I  am  with  yon,"  replied  I,  addressing  myself  to  them 
all,  "I  consider  it  my  duty  to  conform  to  your  manners  in 
every  way,  but  by-and-by,  when  I  resume  my  search " 

"  And  why  shouldst  thou  resume  a  search  which  must  prove 
unavailing,  and  but  leads  thee  into  error  and  misfortune  ?  I  am 
but  young,  Japhet  Newland,  and  not  perhaps  so  able  to  advise, 
yet  doth  it  appear  to  me,  that  the  search  can  only  be  availing 
when  made  by  those  who  left  thee.  When  they  wish  for  yon 
they  will  seek  thee,  but  thy  seeking  them  is  vain  and  fruitless." 

"  But,"  replied  I,  "  recollect  that  inquiries  have  already  been 
made  at  the  Foundling,  and  those  who  inquired  have  been  sent 
away  disappointed — they  will  inquire  no  more." 

"  And  is  a  parent's  love  so  trifling,  that  one  disappointment 
will  drive  him  from  seeking  of  his  child  ?  No,  no,  Japhet;  if 
thou  art  yearned  for,  thou  wilt  be  found,  and  fresh  inquiries 
will  be  made;  but  thy  search  is  unavailing,  and  already  hast 
thou  lost  much  time." 

"  True,  Susannah,  thy  advice  is  good,"  replied  Mrs.  Copha- 
gns;  "  in  following  a  shadow  Japhet  hath  much  neglected  the 
substance;  it  is  time  that  thou  shouldst  settle  thyself,  and  earn 
thy  livelihood." 

"And  do  thy  duty  in  that  path  of  life  to  which  it  hatb 
pleased  God  to  call  thee,"  continued  Susannah,  who,  with  Mrs 
Cophagus,  walked  out  of  the  room. 

Cophagus  then  took  up  the  conversation,  and  pointing  out 
the  uselessness  of  my  roving  about,  and  the  propriety  of  my 
settling  in  life,  proposed  that  I  should  take  an  apothecary's 
shop,  for  which  he  would  furnish  the  means,  and  that  he  could 
insure  me  the  custom  of  the  whole  Society  of  Friends  in  Road 
ing,  which  was  very  large,  as  there  was  not  one  of  the  sect  iii 
that  line  of  business.  "  Become  one  of  us,  Japhet — good 
business — marry  by-and-by — happy  life — little  children — and 
BO  on."  I  thought  of  Susannah,  and  was  silent.  Cophagus 
then  said  I  had  better  reflect  upon  his  offer,  and  make  up  my 
(I'-tcnniuation.  If  that  did  not  suit  me,  he  would  still  give  mo 
all  the  assistance  in  his  power. 


322  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A    f ATHER 

I  did  reflect  long  before  I  could  make  op  my  mind.  T  was 
Btill  worldly  inclined  ;  still  my  fancy  would  revel  in  the  idea  of 
finding  out  my  father  in  high  life,  and,  as  once  more  appearing 
as  a  star  of  fashion,  of  returning  with  interest  the  contumely  I 
had  lately  received,  and  re-assuming  as  a  right  that  position  in 
society  which  I  had  held  under  false  colours. 

I  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  sinking  at  once  into  a  trades- 
man, and  probably  ending  my  days  in  obscurity.  Pride  was 
Btill  my  ruling  passion.  Such  were  my  first  impulses,  and  then 
I  looked  upon  the  other  side  of  the  picture.  I  was  without 
the  means  necessary  to  support  myself ;  I  could  not  return  to 
high  life  without  I  discovered  my  parents  in  the  first  place,  and 
in  the  second,  found  them  to  be  such  as  my  warm  imagination 
had  depicted.  I  had  no  chance  of  finding  them.  I  had  already 
been  long  seeking  in  vain.  I  had  been  twice  taken  up  to  Bow 
Street — nearly  lost  my  life  in  Ireland — had  been  sentenced  to 
death — had  been  insane,  and  recovered  by  a  miracle,  and  all  in 
prosecuting  this  useless  search.  All  this  had  much  contributed 
to  cure  me  of  the  monomania.  I  agreed  with  Susannah  that 
the  search  must  be  made  by  the  other  parties,  and  not  by  me. 
I  recalled  the  treatment  I  had  received  from  the  world — the 
contempt  with  which  I  had  been  treated — the  heartlessness  of 
high  life,  and  the  little  chance  of  my  ever  again  being  admitted 
into  fashionable  society. 

I  placed  all  this  in  juxtaposition  with  the  kindness  of  those 
with  whom  I  now  resided — what  they  had  done  already  for  me, 
and  what  they  now  offered,  which  was  to  make  me  independent 
by  my  own  exertions.  I  weighed  all  in  my  mind  ;  was  still 
undecided,  for  my  pride  still  carried  its  weight ;  when  I 
thought  of  the  pure,  beautiful  Susannah  Temple,  and — my  deci- 
sion was  made.  I  would  not  lose  the  substance  by  running 
after  shadows. 

That  evening,  with  many  thanks,  I  accepted  the  kind  offers 
of  Mr.  Cophagus,  and  expressed  my  determination  of  entering 
nto  the  Society  of  Friends. 

"  Thou  hast  chosen  wisely,"  said  Mrs.  Cophagus,  extending 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          323 

her  hand  to  me,  "  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  shall  receive 
thee." 

"  I  welcome  thee,  Japhet  Newland,"  said  Susannah,  also 
offering  her  hand,  "  and  I  trust  that  thou  wilt  find  more  happi- 
ness among  those  with  whom  thon  art  about  to  sojourn,  than 
in  the  world  of  vanity  and  deceit,  in  which  thou  hast  hitherto 
played  thy  part.  No  longer  seek  an  earthly  father,  who  hath 
deserted  thee,  but  a  heavenly  Father,  who  will  not  desert  thee 
in  thy  afflictions." 

"You  shall  direct  me  into  the  right  path,  Susannah," 
replied  I. 

"  I  am  too  young  to  be  a  guide,  Japhet,"  replied  she,  smil- 
ing ;  "  but  not  too  young,  I  hope,  to  be  a  friend." 

The  next  day  my  clothes  came  home,  and  I  put  them  on.  I 
looked  at  myself  in  the  glass,  and  was  any  thing  but  pleased  ; 
but  as  my  head  was  shaved,  it  was  of  little  consequence  what 
I  wore  ;  so  I  consoled  myself.  Mr.  Cophagus  sent  for  a  barber 
and  ordered  me  a  wig,  which  was  to  be  ready  in  a  few  days  ; 
when  it  was  ready  I  put  it  on,  and  altogether  did  not  dislike 
my  appearance.  I  flattered  myself  that  if  I  was  a  Quaker,  at 
all  events  I  was  a  very  good  looking  and  a  very  smart  one  ; 
and  when,  a  day  or  two  afterwards  a  re-union  of  friends  took 
place  at  Mr.  Cophagus's  house  to  introduce  me  to  them,  I  per- 
ceived, with  much  satisfaction,  that  there  was  no  young  man 
who  could  compete  with  me.  After  this,  I  was  much  more 
reconciled  to  my  transformation. 


CHAPTER  LXIV 

I   PROSPER   IN   EVERY   WAY,    AND    BECOME    RECONCILED  TO   MY 
SITUATION. 

MR.  COPHAGUS  was  not  idle.     In  a  few  weeks  he  had  rented  a 
a  shop  for  me,  and  furnished  it  much  better  than  his  own  in 


324  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

Smithficld  ;  the  upper  part  of  the  house  was  let  off,  as  I  was  to 
reside  with  the  family.  When  it  was  ready,  I  went  over  it  with 
him,  and  was  satisfied  ;  all  I  wished  for  was  Timothy  as  an 
assistant,  but  that  ^rish  was  unavailing,  as  I  knew  not  where  to 
find  him. 

That  evening  I  observed  to  Mr.  Cophagus,  that  I  did  not 
much  like  putting  my  name  over  the  shop.  The  fact  was,  that 
iny  pride  forbade  it,  and  I  could  not  bear  the  idea  that  Japhet 
Newlaud,  at  whose  knock  every  aristocratic  door  had  flown 
open,  should  appear  in  gold  letters  above  a  shop-window. 
"  There  are  many  reasons  against  it,"  observed  I.  "  One  is, 
that  it  is  not  my  real  name — I  should  like  to  take  the  name  of 
Cophagus  ;  another  is,  that  the  name,  being  so  well  known, 
may  attract  those  who  formerly  knew  me,  and  I  should  not 
wish  that  they  should  come  in  and  mock  me  ;  another  is " 

"  Japhet  Newland,"  interrupted  Susannah,  with  more  seve- 
rity than  I  ever  had  seen  in  her  sweet  countenance,  "  do  not 
trouble  thyself  with  giving  thy  reasons,  seeing  thou  hast 
given  every  reason  but  the  right  one,  which  is,  that  thy  pride 
revolts  at  it." 

"  I  was  about  to  observe,"  replied  I,  "  that  it  was  a  name 
that  sounded  of  mammon,  and  not  fitting  for  one  of  our  persua- 
sion. But,  Susannah,  you  have  accused  me  of  pride,  and  I  will 
now  raise  no  further  objections.  Japhet  Newland  it  shall  be, 
and  let  us  speak  no  more  upon  the  subject." 

"  If  I  have  wronged  thee,  Japhet,  much  do  I  crave  thy  for 
giveness,"  replied  Susannah.  "  But  it  is  God  alone  who  know- 
eth  the  secrets  of  our  hearts.  I  was  presumptuous  ;  and  you 
must  pardon  me." 

"  Susannah,  it  is  I  who  ought  to  plead  for  pardon  ;  you 
know  me  better  than  I  know  myself.  It  was  pride,  and  nothing 
but  pride — but  you  have  cured  me." 

"  Truly  I  have  hopes  of  thee  now,  Japhet,"  replied  Susan- 
nah, smiling.  "  Those  who  confess  their  faults  will  soon  amend 
them  ;  yet  I  do  think  there  is  some  reason  hi  thy  observation, 
for  who  knoweih,  but  meeting  with  thy  former  associates,  thou 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  325 

mayest  be  tempted  into  falling  away?  Thou  mayest  spell  thy 
name  as  thou  listest  j  and,  peradventure,  it  would  be  better  to 
disguise  it." 

So  agreed  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cophagus,  and  I  therefore  had  it 
written  GVow-land ;  and  having  engaged  a  person  of  the  society, 
strongly  recommended  to  me,  as  an  assistant,  I  took  possession 
of  my  shop,  and  was  ?ery  soon  busy  in  making  up  prescriptions, 
and  dispensing  my  medicines  in  all  quarters  of  the  good  town 
of  Reading. 

And  I  was  happy.  I  had  enjoyment  during  the  day  ;  my 
profession  was,  at  all  events,  liberal.  I  was  dressed  and  lived 
as  a  gentleman,  or  rather,  I  should  say,  respectably.  I  was 
earning  my  own  livelihood.  I  was  a  useful  member  of  society, 
and  when  I  retired  home  to  meals,  and  late  at  night,  I  found, 
that  if  Cophagus  and  his  wife  had  retired,  Susannah  Temple 
always  waited  up,  and  remained  with  me  a  few  minutes.  I  had 
never  been  in  love  until  I  had  fallen  in  with  this  perfect 
creature  ;  but  my  love  for  her  was  not  the  love  of  the  world 
I  could  not  so  depreciate  her — I  loved  her  as  a  superior  being 
— I  loved  her  with  fear  and  trembling.  I  felt  that  she  was  too 
pure,  too  holy,  too  good,  for  a  vain,  worldly  creature  like 
myself.  I  felt  as  if  my  destiny  depended  upon  her  and  her  fiat 
that  if  she  favoured  me,  my  happiness  in  this  world  and  in  the 
next  were  secured;  that  if  she  rejected  me,  I  was  cast  away  for 
ever.  Such  was  my  feeling  for  Susannah  Temple,  who,  perfect 
as  she  was,  was  still  a  woman,  and  perceived  her  power  over 
me  ;  but  unlike  the  many  of  her  sex,  exerted  that  power  only 
to  lead  to  what  was  right.  Insensibly  almost,  my  pride  was 
quelled,  and  I  became  humble  and  religiously  inclined.  Even 
the  peculiarities  of  the  sect,  their  meeting  at  their  places  of 
worship,  their  drawling,  and  their  quaint  manner  of  talking, 
became  no  longer  a  subject  of  dislike.  I  found  out  causes  and 
good  reasons  for  everything  which  before  appeared  strange — 
sermons  in  stones,  and  good  in  everything.  Months  pamed 
away — my  business  prospered — I  had  nearly  repaid  the  money 
advanced  by  Mr.  Cophagus.  I  was  in  heart  and  soul  a  Quaker, 


326  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

and  I  entered  into  the  fraternity  with  a  feeling  that  I  co  tld  act 
up  to  what  I  had  promised.  I  was  happy,  quite  happy,  and 
yet  I  had  never  received  from  Susannah  Temple  any  further 
than  the  proofs  of  sincere  friendship.  But  I  had  much  of  her 
society,  and  we  were  now  very,  very  intimate.  I  found  out 
what  warm,  what  devoted  feelings  were  concealed  under  hei 
modest,  quiet  exterior — how  well  her  mind  was  stored,  and 
how  right  was  that  mind. 

Often  when  I  talked  over  past  events  did  I  listen  to  her 
remarks,  all  tending  to  one  point,  morality  and  virtue  ;  often 
did  I  receive  from  her  at  first  a  severe,  but  latterly  a  kind 
rebuke,  when  my  discourse  was  light  and  frivolous  ;  but  when 
I  talked  of  merry  subjects  which  were  innocent,  what  could  be 
more  joyous  or  more  exhilarating  than  her  laugh — what  more 
intoxicating  than  her  sweet  smile,  when  she  approved  of  my 
sentiments  I  and  when  animated  by  the  subject,  what  could  be 
more  musical  or  more  impassioned  than  her  bursts  of  eloquence, 
which  were  invariably  followed  by  a  deep  blush,  when  she 
recollected  how  she  had  been  carried  away  by  excitement. 

There  was  one  point  upon  which  I  congratulated  myself, 
which  was  that  she  had  received  two  or  three  unexceptionable 
offers  of  marriage  during  the  six  months  that  I  had  been  in  her 
company,  and  refused  them.  At  the  end  of  that  period,  thanks 
to  the  assistance  I  received  from  the  Friends,  I  had  paid  Mr. 
Cophagus  all  the  money  which  he  had  advanced,  and  found 
myself  in  possession  of  a  flourishing  business,  and  independent. 
I  then  requested  that  I  might  be  allowed  to  pay  an  annual 
stipend  for  my  board  and  lodging,  commencing  from  the  time  I 
first  came  to  his  house.  Mr.  Cophagus  said  I  was  right,  the 
terms  were  easily  arranged,  and  I  was  independent. 

Still  my  advances  with  Susannah  were  slow,  but  if  slow,  they 
were  sure.  One  day  I  observed  to  her,  how  happy  Mr.  Copha- 
gus appeared  to  be  as  a  married  man  :  her  reply  was,  "  He  is, 
Japhet ;  he  has  worked  hard  for  his  independence,  and  he  is 
now  reaping  the  fruits  of  his  industry."  That  is  as  much  as  to 
say  that  I  must  do  the  same,  thought  I  and  that  I  have  uo 


JAPHET,    IN   SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  327 

business  to  propose  for  a  wife  until  I  am  certain  that  I  am  able 
to  provide  for  her.  I  have  as  yet  laid  up  nothing,  and  an 
income  is  not  a  capital.  I  felt  that  whether  a  party  interested 
or  not,  she  was  right,  and  I  redoubled  my  diligence. 


CHAPTER  LXV. 

A    VARIETY    OF    THE    QUAKER  TRIBE WHO   HAD   A    CURIOUS    DISIN- 
TEGRATION OF  MIND  AND  BODY. 

I  WAS  not  yet  weaned  from  the  world,  but  I  was  fast  advancing 
to  that  state,  when  a  very  smart  young  quaker  came  on  a  visit 
to  Reading.  He  was  introduced  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cophagus, 
and  was  soon,  as  might  be  expected,  an  admirer  of  Susannah, 
but  he  received  no  encouragement.  He  was  an  idle  person, 
and  passed  much  of  his  tune  sitting  in  my  shop,  and  talking 
with  me,  and  being  much  less  reserved  and  unguarded  than  the 
generality  of  the  young  men  of  the  sect,  I  gradually  became 
intimate  with  him.  One  day,  when  my  assistant  was  out,  he 
said  to  me,  "  Friend  Grow-land,  tell  me  candidly,  hast  thou 
ever  seen  my  face  before  ?" 

"  Not  that  I  can  recollect,  friend  Talbot." 

"  Then  my  recollection  is  better  than  yours,  and  now  having 
obtained  thy  friendship  as  one  of  the  society,  I  will  remind  thee 
of  our  former  acquaintance.  When  thou  wert  Mr.  N-e-w-land, 
walking  about  town  with  Major  Carbonuell,  I  was  Lieutenant 
Talbot,  of  the Dragoon  Guards." 

I  was  dumb  with  astonishment,  and  I  stared  him  in  the  face. 

"  Yes,"  continued  he,  bursting  into  laughter,  "  such  is  the  fact. 
You  have  thought,  perhaps,  that  you  were  the  only  man  of 
fashion  who  had  ever  been  transformed  into  a  Quaker ;  now 
yon  behold  another,  so  no  longer  imagine  youi^elf  the  Pluvnijt 
jf  your  tribe." 

"  I  do  certainly  recollect  that  name,"  replied  I ;  "  but  although 


328  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER. 

as  you  must  be  acquainted  with  my  history,  it  is  very  easy  to 
conceive  why  I  have  joined  the  society,  yet  upon  what  grounds 
you  can  have  so  done  Is  to  me  inexplicable." 

"  Newlaud,  it  certainly  does  require  explanation  :  it  has 
been,  I  assert,  my  misfortune,  and  not  my  fault.  Not  that  I 
am  not  happy.  On  the  contrary,  I  feel  that  I  am  now  in  m) 
proper  situation.  I  ought  to  have  been  born  of  Quaker  parents 
— at  all  events,  I  was  born  a  Quaker  in  disposition  ;  but  I  wilJ 
come  to-morrow  early,  and  then,  if  you  will  give  your  man 
something  to  do  out  of  the  way,  I  will  tell  you  my  history.  I 
know  that  you  will  keep  my  secret." 

The  next  morning  he  came,  and  as  soon  as  we  were  alone  he 
imparted  to  me  what  follows  : 

"  I  recollect  well,  Newland,  when  you  were  one  of  the 
leaders  of  fashion.  I  was  then  in  the  Dragoon  Guards,  and 
although  not  very  intimate  with  you,  had  the  honour  of  a  re- 
cognition when  we  met  at  parties.  I  cannot  help  laughing, 
upon  my  soul,  when  I  look  at  us  both  now  ;  but  never  mind. 
I  was  of  course  a  great  deal  with  my  regiment,  and  at  the  club. 
My  father,  as  you  may  not  perhaps  be  aware,  was  highly  con- 
nected, and  all  the  family  have  been  brought  up  in  the  army  : 
the  question  of  profession  has  never  been  mooted  by  us  ;  and 
every  Talbot  has  turned  out  a  soldier  as  naturally  as  a  young 
duck  takes  to  the  water.  *  Well,  I  entered  the  army,  admired 
my  uniform,  and  was  admired  by  the  young  ladies.  Before  1 
received  my  lieutenant's  commission,  my  father,  the  old  gentle- 
man, died,  and  left  me  a  younger  brother's  fortune,  of  four  hun 
dred  per  annum  ;  but,  as  my  uncle  said,  '  It  was  quite  enough 
for  a  Talbot,  who  would  push  himself  forward  in  his  profession, 
as  the  Talbots  had  ever  done  before  him.'  I  soon  found  out 
that  my  income  was  not  sufficient  to  enable  me  to  continue  in 
the  Guards,  and  my  uncle  was  very  anxious  that  I  should  ex- 
change into  a  regiment  on  service.  I  therefore,  by  purchase, 
obtained  a  company  in  the  23d,  ordered  out  to  reduce  the 
French  colonies  in  the  West  Indies  ;  and  I  sailed  with  all  the 
expectation  of  covering  myself  with  as  much  glory  as  the  Tal- 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  329 

bots  had  done  from  time  immemorial.  We  landed,  and  in  a 
short  tune  the  bullets  and  grape  were  flying  in  all  directions,  and 
then  I  discovered,  what  I  declare  never  for  a  moment  came  into 
my  head  before,  to  wit — that  I  had  mistaken  my  profession." 

"  How  do  you  mean  Talbot  ?" 

"  Mean  !  why,  that  I  was  deficient  in  a  certain  qualification, 
which  never  was  before  denied  to  a  Talbot — courage." 

11  And  you  never  knew  that  before  ?" 

"  Never  upon  my  honour  ;  my  mind  was  always  full  of  cour- 
age. In  my  mind's  eye  I  built  castles  of  feats  of  bravery  which 
should  eclipse  all  the  Talbots,  from  him  who  burnt  Joan  of  Arc 
down  to  the  present  day.  I  assure  you,  that  surprised  as  other 
people  were,  no  one  was  more  surprised  than  myself.  Our 
regiment  was  ordered  to  advance,  and  I  led  on  my  company  ; 
the  bullets  flew  like  hail.  I  tried  to  go  on,  but  I  could  not ; 
at  last,  notwithstanding  all  my  endeavours  to  the  contrary,  I 
fairly  took  to  my  heels.  I  was  met  by  the  commanding  officer 
— in  fact,  I  ran  against  him.  He  ordered  me  back,  and  I  re- 
turned to  my  regiment,  not  feeling  at  all  afraid.  Again  I  was 
kt  the  fire,  again  I  resisted  the  impulse,  but  it  was  of  no  use  ; 
and  at  last,  just  before  the  assault  took  place,  I  ran  away  as  if 
the  devil  was  after  me.  Wasn't  it  odd  ?" 

"  Very  odd  indeed,"  replied  I,  laughing. 

"  Yes,  but  you  do  not  exactly  understand  why  it  was  odd. 
Yon  know  what  -philosophers  tell  you  about  volition ;  and 
that  the  body  is  governed  by  the  mind,  consequently  ol>eys 
it  ;  now,  you  sec,  in  my  case,  it  was  exactly  reversed.  I  tell 
you,  that  it  is  a  fact,  that  in  mind  I  am  as  brave  as  any  man 
in  existence  :  but  I  had  a  cowardly  carcase,  and  what  is  still 
worse,  it  proved  the  master  of  my  mind,  and  ran  away  with  it. 
I  had  no  mind  to  run  away  ;  on  the  contrary,  I  wished  to  have 
been  of  the  forlorn  hope,  and  had  volunteered,  bnt  was  refused. 
Surely,  if  I  had  not  courage  I  should  have  avoided  such  a  po« 
of  danger.  Is  it  not  so  ?" 

"  It  certainly  appears  strange,  that  you  should  volunteer  for 
She  forlorn  hoj>e  and  then  run  away."  , 


B30  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATMEK 

"  That's  just  what  I  say.  I  have  the  soul  of  the  Talbots,  but 
a  body  which  don't  belong  to  the  family,  and  too  powerful  ftr 
the  soul." 

"  So  it  appears.     Well,  go  on." 

"  It  was  go  off,  instead  of  going  on.  I  tried  again  that  day 
to  mount  the  breach,  and  as  the  fire  was  over,  I  succeeded  ;  but 
there  was  a  mark  against  me,  and  it  was  intimated  that  I 
should  have  an  opportunity  of  redeeming  my  character." 

"  Well  ?" 

"  There  was  a  fort  to  be  stormed  the  next  day,  and  I 
requested  to  lead  my  company  in  advance.  Surely  that  waa 
no  proof  of  want  of  courage  ?  Permission  was  granted.  We 
were  warmly  received,  and  I  felt  that  my  legs  refused  tc 
advance  ;  so  what  did  I  do — I  tied  my  sash  round  my  thigh, 
and  telling  the  men  that  I  was  wounded,  requested  they  would 
carry  me  to  the  attack.  Surely  that  was  courage  ?" 

"  Most  undoubtedly  so.     It  was  like  a  Talbot." 

"  We  were  at  the  foot  of  the  breach  ;  when  the  shot  flew 
about  me,  I  kicked  and  wrestled  so,  that  the  two  men  who 
carried  me  were  obliged  to  let  me  go,  and  my  rascally  body 
was  at  liberty.  I  say  unfortunately,  for  only  conceive,  if  they 
had  carried  me  wounded  up  the  breach,  what  an  heroic  act  it 
would  have  been  considered  on  my  part ;  but  fate  decided  it 
otherwise.  If  I  had  lain  still  when  they  dropped  me,  I  should 
have  done  well,  but  I  was  anxious  to  get  up  the  breach,  that 
is,  my  mind  was  so  bent  ;  but  as  soon  as  I  got  on  my  legs, 
confound  them  if  they  didn't  run  away  with  me,  and  then  I 
was  found  half  a  mile  from  the  fort  with  a  pretended  wound. 
That,  was  enough  ;  I  had  a  hint  that  the  sooner  I  went  home 
the  better.  On  account  of  the  family  I  was  permitted  to  sell 
out,  and  then  I  walked  the  streets  as  a  private  gentleman, 
but  no  one  would  speak  to  me.  I  argued  the  point  with 
several,  but  they  were  obstinate,  and  would  not  be  convinced  ; 
they  said  that  it  was  no  use  talking  about  being  brave,  if  I 
run  iway." 

"  They  were  net  philosophers,  Talbot." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER  33J 

"  No  ;  they  could  not  comprehend  how  the  mind  and  the 
body  could  be  at  variance.  It  was  no  use  arguing — they 
would  have  it  that  the  movements  of  the  body  depended  upon 
the  mind,  and  that  I  had  made  a  mistake — and  that  I  was  a 
coward  in  soul  as  well  as  body." 

"  Well,  what  did  you  do  ?" 

"  Oh,  1  did  nothing  ?  I  had  a  great  mind  to  knock  them 
down,  but  as  I  knew  my  body  would  not  assist  me,  I  thought 
it  better  to  leave  it  alone.  However,  they  taunted  me  so,  by 
calling  me  fighting  Tom,  that  my  uncle  shut  his  door  upon  me 
as  a  disgrace  to  the  family,  saying,  he  wished  the  first  bullet 
had  laid  me  dead — very  kind  of  him  ; — at  last  my  patience 
was  worn  out,  and  I  looked  about  to  find  whether  there  were 
not  some  people  who  did  not  consider  courage  as  a  sine  qua 
non.  I  found  that  the  Quakers'  tenets  were  against  fighting, 
and  therefore  courage  could  not  be  necessary,  so  I  have  joined 
them,  and  I  find  that,  if  not  a  good  soldier,  I  am,  at  all 
events,  a  very  respectable  Quaker  ;  and  now  you  have  the 
whole  of  my  story — and  tell  me  if  you  are  of  my  opinion." 

"  Why,  really,  it's  a  very  difficult  point  to  decide.  I  never 
heard  such  a  case  of  disintegration  before.  I  must  think  upon  it." 

"  Of  course,  you  will  not  say  a  word  about  it,  Newlaml." 

"  Never  fear,  I  will  keep  your  secret,  Talbot.  IIow  long 
have  you  worn  the  dress  ?" 

"  Oh,  more  than  a  year.  By-the-by,  what  a  nice  young 
person  that  Susannah  Temple  is.  I've  a  great  mind  to  propose 
for  her." 

"  But  you  must  first  ascertain  what  your  body  says  to  it, 
Talbot,"  replied  I,  sternly.  "  I  allow  no  one  to  interfere  with 
me,  Quaker  or  not. ' 

"  My  dear  fellow,  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  shall  think  no  mor 
about  her,"  said  Talbot,  rising  up,  as  he  observed  that  I 
looked  very  fierce.  "  I  wish  you  a  good  morning.  I  leave 
Hi -:ii  ling  to-morrow.  I  will  call  on  you  and  say  good-bye,  if  I 
Dan  ;"  and  I  saw  no  more  of  friend  Talbot,  whose  mind  was 
all  courage,  but  whose  body  was  so  renegade. 


832  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHSR. 

CHAPTER     LXVI. 

I    FALL    IN    WITH   TIMOTHY. 

ABOUT  a  month  after  this,  I  heard  a  sailor  with  one  leg,  and  a 
handful  of  ballads,  singing  in  a  most  lachrymal  tone, 

"Why,  what's  that  to  you  If  my  eyes  I'm  a  wiping? 
A  tear  is  a  pleasure,  d'ye  see,  in  its  way — 

Bless  four  honour,  shy  a  copper  to  poor  Jack,  who's  lost  his 
leg  io  he  sarvice.  Thanky,  your  honour,"  and  he  continued, 

"  It's  nonsense  for  trifles,  I  own,  to  be  piping, 
But  they  who  can't  pity — why  I  pities  they. 
Says  the  captain,  says  he,  I  shall  never  forget  It, 
Of  courage,  you  know,  boys,  the  true  from  the  sham. 

Back  your  maintop-sail,  your  worship,  for  half  a  minute,  and 
just  assist  a  poor  dismantled  craft,  who  has  been  riddled  in  the 
wars. — '  'Tis  a  furious  lion.'  Long  life  to  your  honour — '  In  bat- 
tle so  let  it — ' 

"  'Tis  a  furious  lion,  in  battle  so  let  it ; 
But  duty  appeased — but  duty  appeased — 

Buy  a  song,  young  woman,  to  sing  to  your  sweetheart,  while 
you  sit  on  his  knee  in  the  dog-watch — 

"  But  duty  appeased,  'tis  the  heart  of  a  lamb.  •* 

I  believe  there  are  few  people  who  do  not  take  a  strong 
interest  in  the  English  sailor,  particularly  in  one  who  has  been 
maimed  in  the  defence  of  his  country.  I  always  have  ;  and  aa 
I  heard  the  poor  disabled  fellow  bawling  out  his  ditty,  cer- 
tainly not  with  a  very  remarkable  voice  or  execution,  I  pulled 
out  the  drawer  behind  the  counter,  and  took  out  some  halfpence 
to  give  him.  When  I  caught  his  eye  I  beckoned  to  him,  and 
he  entered  the  shop.  "  Here,  my  good  fellow,"  said  I,  "  al- 
though a  man  of  peace  myself,  yet  I  feel  for  those  who  suffer  ic 
the  wars  ;"  and  I  put  the  money  to  him. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  333 

"  May  your  honour  never  know  a  banyan  day,"  replied  the 
sailor  ;  "  and  a  sickly  season  for  you,  into  the  bargain." 

"  Nay,  friend,  that  is  not  a  kind  wish  to  others,"  replied  I. 

The  sailor  fixed  his  eyes  earnestly  upon  me,  as  if  in  astonish- 
ment, for,  until  I  had  answered,  he  had  not  looked  at  mo 
particularly. 

"  What  are  you  looking  at  ?"  said  I. 

"  Good  heavens  !"  exclaimed  he.    "  It  is — yet  it  cannot  be  1" 

"  Cannot  be  1  what,  friend  ?" 

He  ran  out  of  the  door,  and  read  the  name  over  the  shop, 
and  then  came  in,  and  sank  upon  a  chair  outside  of  the 
counter.  "  Japhet — I  have  found  you  at  last !"  exclaimed  he, 
faintly. 

"  Good  heaven  !  who  are  you  ?" 

He  threw  off  his  hat,  with  false  ringlets  fastened  to  the 
inside  of  it,  and  I  beheld  Timothy.  In  a  moment  I  sprang 
over  the  counter,  and  was  in  his  arms.  "  Is  it  possible," 
exclaimed  I,  after  a  short  silence  on  both  sides,  "  that  I  find 
you  a  disabled  sailor  ?" 

"  Is  it  possible,  Japhet,"  replied  Timothy,  "  that  I  find  you 
a  broad-brimmed  Quaker  ?" 

"  Even  so,  Timothy.     I  am  really  and  truly  one." 

"  Then  you  are  less  disguised  than  I  am,"  replied  Timothy, 
kicking  off  his  wooden  leg,  and  letting  down  his  own,  which 
had  been  tied  up  to  his  thigh,  and  concealed  in  his  wide  blue 
trowsers.  "  I  am  no  more  a  sailor  than  you  are,  Japhet,  and 
since  you  left  me  have  never  yet  seen  the  salt  water,  which  I 
talk  and  sing  so  much  about." 

"  Then  thou  hast  been  deceiving,  Timothy,  which  I  regret 
nmch." 

"  Now  I  do  perceive  that  you  are  a  Quaker,"  replied  Tim  ; 
"  but  do  not  blame  me  until  you  have  heard  my  story.  Thank 
God,  I  have  found  you  at  last.  But  tell  me,  Japhet,  you  will 
not  send  me  away— will  you  ?  If  your  dress  is  changed,  you 
heart  is  not.  Pray  answer  me,  before  I  say  ouy  thing  more 
You  know  I  can  be  useful  here." 


S34  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Indeed,  Timothy,  I  have  often  wished  for  you  since  I  have 
been  here,  and  it  will  be  your  own  fault  if  I  part  with  you. 
You  shall  assist  me  in  the  shop  ;  but  you  must  dress  like  inc." 

"  Dress  like  you  I  have  I  not  always  dressed  like  you  ? 
When  we  started  from  Cophagus's,  were  we  not  dressed  much 
alike  ?  did  we  not  wear  spangled  jackets  together  ?  did  I  not 
wear  your  livery,  and  belong  to  you  ?  I'll  put  on  any  thing, 
Japhet — but  we  must  not  part  again." 

"  My  dear  Timothy,  I  trust  we  shall  not ;  but  I  expect  my 
assistant  here  soon,  and  do  not  wish  that  he  should  see  you  in 
that  garb.  Go  to  a  small  public-house  at  the  further  end  of 
the  street,  and  when  yon  see  me  pass,  come  out  to  me,  and  we 
will  walk  out  into  the  country,  and  consult  together." 

"  I  have  put  up  at  a  small  house  not  far  off,  and  have  some 
clothes  there  ;  I  will  alter  my  dress  and  meet  you.  God  bless 
you,  Japhet." 

Timothy  then  picked  up  his  ballads,  which  were  scattered  on 
the  floor,  put  up  his  leg,  and  putting  on  his  wooden  stump, 
hastened  away,  after  once  more  silently  pressing  my  hand. 

In  half  an  hour  my  assistant  returned,  and  I  desired  him  to 
remain  in  the  shop,  as  I  was  going  out  on  business.  I  then 
walked  to  the  appointed  rendezvous,  and  was  soon  joined  by 
Tim,  who  had  discarded  his  sailor's  disguise,  and  was  in  what 
is  called  a  shabby  genteel  sort  of  dress.  After  the  first  renew- 
ed greeting,  I  requested  Tim  to  let  me  know  what  had  occurred 
to  him  since  our  separation. 

"  You  cannot  imagine,  Japhet,  what  my  feelings  were  when 
I  found,  by  your  note,  that  you  had  left  me.  I  had  perceived 
how  unhappy  you  had  been  for  a  long  while,  and  I  was  equally 
distressed,  although  I  knew  not  the  cause.  I  had  no  idea  until 
I  got  your  letter,  that  you  had  lost  all  your  money  ;  and  I  felt 
it  more  uukind  of  you  to  leave  me  then,  than  if  you  had  been 
comfortable  and  independent.  As  for  looking  after  you,  that  I 
knew  would  be  useless  ;  and  I  immediately  went  to  Mr.  Mas- 
terton,  to  take  his  advice  as  to  how  I  should  proceed.  Mr 
Masterton  had  received  your  letter,  and  appeared  to  be  ver) 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  335 

much  annoyed.  '  Very  foolish  boy,'  said  he  ;  '  but  there  is  no- 
thing that  can  be  done  now.  He  is  mad,  and  that  is  all  that 
can  be  said  in  his  excuse.  You  must  do  as  he  tells  you,  I  sup- 
pose, and  try  the  best  for  yourself.  I  will  help  you  in  any  way 
that  I  can,  my  poor  fellow/  said  he,  '  so  don't  cry.'  I  went 
back  to  the  house  and  collected  together  your  papers,  which  I 
c&aled  up.  I  knew  that  the  house  was  to  be  given  up  in  a  few 
days.  I  sold  the  furniture,  and  made  the  best  I  could  of  the 
remainder  of  your  wardrobe,  and  other  things  of  value  that  you 
had  left ;  indeed,  every  thing,  with  the  exception  of  the  dress- 
ing case  and  pistols,  which  had  belonged  to  Major  Carbonnell, 
and  I  thought  you  might  perhaps  some  day  like  to  have  them." 

"  How  very  kind  of  you,  Timothy,  to  think  of  me  in  that 
way  !  I  shall  indeed  be  glad  ;  but  no — what  have  I  to  do 
with  pistols  or  silver  dressing-cases  now  ?  I  must  not  have 
them,  but  still  I  thank  you  all  the  same." 

"  The  furniture  and  every  thing  else  fetched  J2430,  after  all 
expenses  were  paid." 

"  I  am  glad  of  it,  Timothy,  for  your  sake ;  but  I  am  sorry, 
judging  by  your  present  plight,  that  it  appears  to  have  done 
you  but  little  good." 

"  Because  I  did  not  make  use  of  it,  Japhet.  What  could  I 
do  with  all  that  money  ?  I  took  it  to  Mr.  Mastertou,  with  all 
your  papers,  and  the  dressing-case  and  pistols  : — he  has  it  now 
ready  for  you  when  you  ask  for  it.  He  was  very  kind  to  me, 
and  offered  to  do  any  thing  for  me  ;  but  I  resolved  to  go  in 
search  of  you.  I  had  more  money  in  my  pocket  when  you  went 
away  than  I  generally  have,  and  with  the  surplus  of  what  you 
left  for  the  bills,  I  had  twelve  or  fourteen  pouuds.  So  I  wished 
Mr.  Mastertou  good-by,  and  have  ev«r  since  been  on  my  adven- 
tures in  search  of  my  master." 

"  Not  master,  Timothy,  say  rather  of  yonr  friend." 

"  Well,  of  both  if  you  please,  Juphet ;  and  "cry  pretty  ad- 
ventures I  have  had,  I  assure  you,  and  some  very  huir-brcadtb 
escapes." 

"  I  think,  when  we  compare  notes,  mine  will  l>c  found  most 


336  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

eventful,  Timothy  ;  but  we  can  talk  of  them,  and  compare 
notes  another  time.  At  present,  whom  do  you  think  I  am 
residing  with  ?" 

"  A  Quaker,  I  presume." 

"  You  have  guessed  right  so  far  ;  but  who  do  you  think  that 
Quaker  is  ?" 

"  There  I'm  at  fault." 

"  Mr.  Cophagus/5 

At  this  intelligence  Timothy  gave  a  leap  in  the  air,  turned 
round  on  his  heel,  and  tumbled  on  the  grass  in  a  fit  of  immoder- 
ate laughter. 

"  Cophagus  I — a  Quaker  I"  cried  he  at  last.  "Oil  long  to 
see  him.  Snuffle,  snuffle — broad  brims — wide  skirts — and  so  on. 
Capital." 

"  It  is  very  true,  Timothy,  but  you  must  not  mock  at  the 
persuasion." 

"  I  did  not  intend  it,  Japhet,  but  there  is  something  to  me  so 
ridiculous  in  the  idea.  But,"  continued  Timothy,  "  is  it  not  still 
stranger,  that,  after  having  separated  so  many  years,  we  should 
all  meet  again — and  that  I  should  find  Mr.  Cophagus — an 
apothecary's  shop — you  dispensing  medicines — and  I — as  I  hope 
to  be — carrying  them  about  as  I  did  before.  Well,  I  will  row 
in  the  same  boat,  and  I  will  be  a  Quaker  as  tvell  as  you  both.'' 

"  Well,  we  will  now  return,  and  I  will  take  you  to  Mr. 
Cophagus,  who  will,  I  am  sure,  be  glad  to  see  you." 

"First,  Japhet,  let  me  have  some  Quaker's  clothes — I  should 
prefer  it." 

"  You  shall  have  a  suit  of  mine,  Timothy,  since  you  wish  it ; 
but  recollect  it  is  not  at  all  necessary,  nor  indeed  will  it  be  per- 
mitted that  you  enter  into  the  sect  without  preparatory  exam 
ination  as  to  your  fitness  for  admission." 

I  then  went  to  the  shop,  and  sending  out  the  assistant, 
walked  home  and  took  out  a  worn  suit  of  clothes,  with  which  I 
hastened  to  Timothy.  He  put  them  on  in  the  shop,  and  theii 
walking  behind  the  counter,  said,  "  This  is  my  place,  and  here 
I  shall  remain  as  long  as  you  do." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  337 

"  I  hope  so,  Timothy  :  as  for  the  one  who  is  with  me  at  pre- 
sent, I  can  easily  procure  him  other  employment ;  and  he  will 
Dot  be  sorry  to  go,  for  he  is  a  married  man,  and  does  not  like 
the  confinement." 

"  I  have  some  money,"  said  Timothy,  taking  out  of  his  old 
clothes  a  dirty  rag,  and  producing  nearly  twenty  pounds.  "  I 
am  well  off,  you  see." 

"  You  are,  indeed,"  replied  I. 

"  Yes,  there  is  nothing  like  being  a  sailor  with  one  leg,  sing- 
ing ballads.  Do  you  know,  Japhet,  that  sometimes  I  have 
taken  more  than  a  pound  a  day  since  I  have  shammed  the 
sailor  ?" 

"  Not  very  honestly,  Tim." 

"  Perhaps  not,  Japhet,  but  it  is  very  strange,  and  yet  very 
true,  that  when  honest  I  can  make  nothing,  and  when  deceived 
I  have  done  very  well.** 


CHAPTER  LXVII. 

TIMOTHY  COMMENCES  HIS  NARRATIVE  OF  HIS    SEARCH  AFTER  JAPHET. 

I  COULD  not  help  calling  to  mind  that  the  same  consequences  as 
Timothy  related  in  the  last  chapter  had  occurred  to  me  during 
my  eventful  career ;  but  I  had  long  considered  that  there  was 
no  excuse  for  dishonesty,  and  that,  in  the  end,  it  would  only 
lead  to  exposure  and  disgrace.  I  went  home  early  in  the  even- 
ing to  introduce  Timothy  to  Mr.  Cophngus,  who  received  him 
with  great  kindness,  and  agreed  immediately  that  he  ought  to 
be  with  me  in  the  shop.  Timothy  paid  his  respects  to  the 
Indies,  and  then  went  down  with  Ephraiin,  who  took  him  under 
his  protection.  In  a  few  days  he  was  as  established  with  us  as 
If  he  had  been  living  with  us  for  months.  I  had  some  trouble, 
at  first,  in  checking  his  vivacity  and  turn  for  ridicule  ;  but  that 
was  gradually  effected,  and  I  found  him  not  only  a  great 

15 


338  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER. 

acquisition,  but,  as  he  always  was,  a  cheerful  aud  affectionate 
companion.  I  had,  during  the  first  days  of  our  meeting,  re- 
counted my  adventures,  and  made  many  inquiries  of  Timothy 
relative  to  my  few  friends.  He  told  me  that  from  Mr.  Master- 
ton  he  had  learnt  that  Lady  de  Clare  and  Fleta  had  called 
upon  him  very  much  afflicted  with  the  contents  of  my  letter — 
that  Lord  Windermear  also  had  been  very  much  vexed  and 
annoyed — that  Mr.  Masterton  had  advised  him  to  obtain  an- 
other situation  as  a  valet,  which  he  had  refused,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  told  him  his  intention  of  searching  for  me.  He  had 
promised  Mr.  Masterton  to  let  him  know  if  he  found  me,  and 
then  bade  him  farewell. 

"I  used  to  lie  in  bed,  Japhet,"  continued  Timothy,  "and 
think  upon  the  best  method  of  proceeding.  At  last,  I  agreed 
to  myself,  that  to  look  for  you  as  you  looked  after  your  father 
irould  be  a  wild-goose  chase,  and  that  my  money  would  soon 
be  gone  ;  so  I  reflected  whether  I  might  not  take  up  some 
roving  trade  which  would  support  me,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
enable  me  to  proceed  from  place  to  place.  What  do  you 
think  was  my  first  speculation  ?  Why,  I  saw  a  man  with  a 
dog  harnessed  in  a  little  cart,  crying  dog's  meat  and  cat's  meat, 
*nd  I  said  to  myself,  '  Now  there's  the  very  thing — there's  a 
profession — I  can  travel  and  earn  my  livelihood."  I  entered 
into  conversation  with  him,  as  he  stopped  at  a  low  public-house, 
treating  him  to  a  pot  of  beer  ;  and  having  gained  all  I  wanted 
as  to  the  mysteries  of  the  profession,  I  called  for  another  potf 
and  proposed  that  I  should  purchase  his  whole  concern,  down  to 
his  knife  and  apron.  The  fellow  agreed,  and  after  a  good  deal 
of  bargaining,  I  paid  him  three  guineas  for  the  set  out  or  set  up, 
which  you  please.  He  asked  me  whether  I  meant  to  hawk  in 
London  or  not,  and  I  told  him  no,  that  I  should  travel  the 
country.  He  advised  the  western  road,  as  there  were  more 
populous  towns  in  it.  Well,  we  had  another  pot  to  clench  the 
bargain,  and  I  paid  down  the  monej  and  took  possession,  quite 
delighted  with  my  new  occupation.  Away  I  went  to  Brent- 
ford, selling  a  bit  here  and  there  by  the  way,  and  at  last 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          339 

arrived  at  the  very  bench  where  we  had  sat  down  together  and 
eaten  our  meal." 

"  It  is  strange  that  I  did  the  same,  and  a  very  unlucky  bench 
it  proved  to  me." 

"  So  it  did  to  me,  as  you  shall  hear.  1  had  taken  up  my 
quarters  at  that  inn,  and  for  three  days  had  done  very  well  in 
Brentford.  On  the  third  evening  I  had  just  come  back,  it 
was  nearly  dusk,  and  I  took  my  seat  on  the  bench,  thinking  of 
you.  My  dog,  rather  tired,  was  lying  down  before  the  cart 
when  all  of  a  sudden  I  heard  a  sharp  whistle.  The  dog  sprang 
on  his  legs  immediately,  and  ran  off  several  yards  before  I  could 
prevent  him.  The  whistle  was  repeated,  and  away  went  the 
dog  and  cart  like  lightning.  I  ran  as  fast  as  I  could,  but  could 
not  overtake  him  ;  and  I  perceived  that  bis  old  master  was 
running  ahead  of  the  dog  as  hard  as  he  could,  and  this  was  the 
reason  why  the  dog  was  off.  Still  I  should,  I  think,  have 
overtaken  him  ;  but  an  old  woman  coming  out  of  a  door  with 
a  saucepan  to  pour  the  hot  water  into  the  gutter,  I  knocked 
her  down  and  tumbled  right  over  her  into  a  cellur  without 
steps.  There  I  was  ;  and  before  I  could  climb  out  again,  man, 
dog,  cart,  cat's  meat  and  dog's  meat,  had  all  vanished,  and  I 
have  never  seen  them  since.  The  rascal  got  clear  off,  and  I 
was  a  bankrupt.  So  much  for  my  first  set  up  in  business." 

"  You  forgot  to  purchase  the  good-will  when  you  made  your 
bargain,  Timothy,  for  the  stock  in  trade." 

"  Very  true,  Japhet.  However,  after  receiving  a  very  fair 
share  of  abuse  from  the  old  woman,  and  a  plaster  of  hot  greens 
in  my  face — for  she  went  supperless  to  bed,  rather  than  not 
have  her  revenge — I  walked  back  to  the  inn,  and  sat  down  in 
the  tap.  The  two  men  next  to  me  were  hawkers  ;  one  carried 
a  large  pack  of  dimities  and  calicoes,  and  the  other  a  box  full 
of  combs,  needles,  tapes,  scissors,  knives,  and  mock-gold  trinkets. 
I  entered  into  conversation  with  them,  and,  as  I  again  stood 
ireat,  I  soon  was  very  intimate.  They  told  me  what  tlieir  pro- 
fits were,  and  how  they  contrived  to  get  on,  and  I  thought, 
for  a  rambling  life,  it  was  by  no  means  an  unpleasant  one;  so 


340  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER. 

having  obtained  all  the  information  I  required,  I  went  back  to 
town,  took  out  a  hawker's  licence,  for  which  I  paid  two  guineas, 
and  purchasing  at  a  shop,  to  which  they  gave  me  a  direction, 
a  pretty  fair  quantity  of  articles  in  the  tape  and  scissors  line, 
off  I  set  once  more  on  my  travels.  I  took  the  north  road  this 
time,  and  picked  up  a  very  comfortable  subsistence,  selling  my 
goods  for  a  few  halfpence  here,  and  a  few  halfpence  there,  at 
the  cottages  as  I  passed  by  ;  but  I  soon  found  out,  that  with- 
out a  newspaper  I  was  not  a  confirmed  hawker,  and  the  more 
radical  the  newspaper  the  better.  A  newspaper  will  pay  half 
the  expenses  of  a  hawker,  if  he  can  read.  At  every  house, 
particularly  every  small  hedge  alehouse,  he  is  received,  and 
placed  in  the  best  corner  of  the  chimney,  and  has  his  board 
and  lodging,  with  the  exception  of  what  he  drinks,  gratis,  if  he 
will  pull  out  the  newspaper  and  read  it  to  those  around  him  who 
cannot  read,  particularly  if  he  can  explain  what  is  unintelligible. 
Now  I  became  a  great  politician,  and,  moreover,  a  great 
radical,  for  such  were  the  politics  of  all  the  lower  classes.  I 
lived  well,  slept  well,  and  sold  my  wares  very  fast.  I  did  not 
take  more  than  three  shillings  in  the  day,  yet,  as  two  out  of 
the  three  were  clear  profit,  I  did  pretty  well.  However,  a  little 
accident  happened  which  obliged  me  to  change  my  profession, 
or  at  least  the  nature  of  the  articles  which  I  dealt  in." 

"  What  was  that  ?" 

"  A  mere  trifle.  I  had  arrived  late  at  a  small  ale-house,  had 
put  up  my  pack,  which  was  in  a  painted  deal  box,  on  the  table 
in  the  tap  room,  and  was  very  busy,  after  reading  a  paragraph 
in  the  newspaper,  making  a  fine  speech,  which  I  always  found 
was  received  with  great  applause,  and  many  shakes  of  the  hand, 
as  a  prime  good  fellow — a  speech  about  community  of  rights, 
agrarian  division,  and  the  propriety  of  an  equal  distribution  of 
property,  proving  that,  as  we  were  all  born  alike,  no  one  had  a 
right  to  have  more  property  than  his  neighbour.  The  people 
had  all  gathered  round  me,  applauding  violently,  when  1  thought 
I  might  as  well  look  after  my  pack,  which  had  been  for  some 
time  hidden  from  my  sight  by  the  crowd,  when,  to  my  mortifi- 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  341 

cation,  I  found  out  that  my  earnest  assertions  on  the  propriety 
of  community  of  property  had  had  such  an  influence  upon  some 
of  my  listeners,  that  they  had  walked  off  with  my  pack  and  its 
contents.  Unfortunately,  I  had  deposited  in  iny  boxes  all  my 
money,  considering  it  safer  there  than  in  my  pockets,  and  had 
nothing  left  but  about  seventeen  shillings  in  silver,  which  I  had 
received  within  the  last  three  days.  Every  one  was  very  sorry, 
but  no  one  knew  any  thing  about  it ;  and  when  I  challenged 
the  landlord  as  answerable,  he  called  me  a  radical  blackguard, 
and  turned  me  out  of  the  door." 

"  If  you  had  looked  a  little  more  after  your  own  property, 
and  interfered  less  with  that  of  other  people,  you  would  have 
done  better,  Tun,"  observed  I,  laughing. 

"  Very  true  ;  but,  at  all  events,  I  have  never  been  a  radical 
since,"  replied  Tim.  "  But  to  go  on.  I  walked  off  to  the 
nearest  town,  and  I  commenced  in  a  more  humble  way.  I  pur- 
chased a  basket,  and  then,  with  the  remainder  of  my  money,  I 
bought  the  commonest  crockery  ware,  such  as  basins,  jugs, 
mugs,  and  putting  them  on  my  head,  off  I  went  again  upon  my 
new  speculation.  I  wandered  about  with  my  crockery,  but  it 
was  hard  work.  I  could  not  reap  the  profits  which  I  did  as  a 
hawker  and  pedlar.  I  averaged,  however,  from  seven  to  nine 
shillings  a  week,  and  that  was  about  sufficient  for  my  support. 
I  went  down  into  as  many  kitchens  as  would  have  sufficed 
to  have  found  a  dozen  mothers,  supposing  mine  to  be  a  cook  ; 
but  I  did  not  see  any  one  who  was  at  all  like  me.  Sometimes 
a  cook  replaced  a  basin  she  had  broken,  by  giving  me  as  much 
meat  as  had  cost  her  mistress  five  shillings,  and  thus  avoided  a 
scolding,  for  an  article  which  was  worth  only  twopence.  At 
other  times,  a  cottager  would  give  me  a  lodging,  and  would  con- 
sider himself  rewarded  with  a  mug  that  only  cost  me  one  penny. 
I  was  more  than  three  months  employed  carrying  crockery  in 
every  direction,  and  never,  during  the  whole  time,  broke  one 
article,  until  one  day,  as  I  passed  through  Eton,  there  WM 
i  regular  smash  of  the  whole  concern." 

"  Indeed,  how  was  that  ?" 


342  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  I  met  about  a  dozen  of  the  Eton  boys,  and  they  proposed 
a  cockshy,  as  they  called  it ;  that  is,  I  was  to  place  my  articles 
on  the  top  of  a  post,  and  they  were  to  throw  stones  at  them  at 
a  certain  distance,  paying  me  a  certain  sum  for  each  throw. 
Well,  this  I  thought  a  very  good  bargain,  so  I  put  up  a  mug 
(worth  one  penny)  at  one  penny  a  throw.  It  was  knocked 
down  at  the  second  shot,  so  it  was  just  as  well  to  put  the  full 
price  upon  them  at  once,  they  were  such  remarkable  good 
aimers  at  any  thing.  Each  boy  had  e  stick,  upon  which  I 
notched  off  their  throws,  and  how  much  they  would  have  to 
pay  when  all  was  over.  One  article  after  another  was  put  on 
the  post  until  my  basket  was  empty,  and  then  I  wanted  to  set- 
tle with  them  ;  but  as  soon  as  I  talked  about  that,  they  all 
burst  out  into  a  loud  laugh,  and  took  to  their  heels.  I  chased 
them,  but  one  might  as  well  have  chased  eels.  If  I  got  hold  of 
one,  the  others  pulled  me  behind  until  he  escaped,  and  at  last 
they  were  all  off,  and  I  had  nothing  left." 

"  Not  your  basket  ?" 

"  No,  not  even  that ;  for  while  I  was  busy  after  some  that 
ran  one  way,  the  others  kicked  my  basket  before  them,  like  a 
foot-ball,  until  it  was  fairly  out  of  sight.  I  had  only  eight-pence 
in  my  pocket,  so  you  perceive  Japhet  how  I  was  going  down  in 
the  world." 

"  You  were  indeed,  Tim." 


CHAPTER  LXVIII. 

TIMOTHY  FINISHES  HIS  NARRATIVE. 

"  WELL,  I  walked  away,  cursing  all  the  Eton  boys  and  all  their 
tutors,  who  did  not  teach  them  honesty  as  well  as  Latin  and 
Greek,  and  put  up  at  a  very  humble  sort  of  abode,  where  they 
sold  small  beer,  and  gave  beds  at  two-pence  per  night,  and  J 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          343 

tuay  add,  with  plenty  of  fleas  in  the  bargain.  There  I  fell  in 
with  some  ballad  singers  and  mumpers,  who  were  making  very 
merry,  aud  who  asked  me  what  was  the  matter.  I  told  them 
iiow  I  had  been  treated,  and  they  laughed  at  me,  but  gave  me 
some  supper,  so  I  forgave  them.  An  old  man,  who  governed 
the  party,  then  asked  me  whether  I  had  any  money.  I  pro- 
duced my  enormous  capital  of  eight-pence.  '  Quite  enough,  if 
you  are  clever,'  said  he  ;  '  quite  enough — many  a  man  with  half 
that  sum  has  ended  hi  rolling  hi  his  carriage.  A  man  with 
thousands  has  only  the  advance  of  you  a  few  years.  You  will 
pay  for  your  lodging  and  then  spend  this  six-pence  in  matches, 
and  hawk  them  about  the  town.  If  you  are  lucky,  it  will  be  a 
shilling  by  to-morrow  night.  Besides,  you  go  down  into  areas, 
and  sometimes  enter  a  kitchen,  when  the  cook  is  above  stairs. 
There  are  plenty  of  things  to  be  picked  up.'  '  But  I  am  not  dis- 
honest,' said  I.  '  Well  then,  every  man  to  his  liking  ;  only  if 
you  were,  you  would  ride  in  your  own  coach  the  sooner.'  '  And 
suppose  I  should  lose  all  this,  or  none  would  buy  my  matches, 
what  then  ?'  replied  I ;  '  I  shall  starve.'  '  Starve — no,  no — no 
one  starves  in  this  country  ;  all  yon  have  to  do  is  to  get  into 
gaol — committed  for  a  month — you  will  live  better  perhaps  than 
you  ever  did  before.  I  have  been  in  every  gaol  in  England,  and 
I  know  the  good  ones,  for  even  in  gaols  there  is  a  great  differ- 
ence. Now  the  one  in  this  town  is  one  of  the  best  in  all  Eng- 
land, and  I  patronises  it  during  the  winter.'  I  was  much 
amused  with  the  discourse  of  this  mumper,  who  appeared  to  be 
one  of  the  merriest  old  vagabonds  in  England.  I  took  his  ad- 
vice, bought  six  pennyworth  of  matches,  and  commenced  my 
new  vagrant  speculation. 

"  The  first  day  I  picked  up  three-pence,  for  one  quarter  of 
my  stock,  and  returned  to  the  same  place  where  I  had  slept  tho 
night  before,  but  the  fraternity  had  quitted  on  an  expedition.  I 
gpent  my  two-pence  in  bread  and  cheese,  and  paid  one  penny  for 
my  lodging,  and  again  I  started  the  next  morning,  but  I  was 
very  unsuccessful ;  nobody  appeared  to  want  matches  that  day ; 
and  after  walking  from  seven  o'clock  iu  the  moruiug,  to  past 


344  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OP  A  FATHER. 

seven  in  the  evening,  without  selling  one  farthing's  worth,  I  sat 
down  at  the  porch  of  a  chapel,  quite  tired  and  worn  out.  At 
last  I  fell  asleep,  and  now  do  you  think  I  was  awoke  ?  by 
a  strong  sense  of  suffocation,  and  up  I  sprang,  coughing,  and 
nearly  choked,  surrounded  with  smoke.  Some  mischievous  boys 
perceiving  that  I  was  fast  asleep,  had  set  fire  to  my  matches,  aa 
I  held  them  in  my  hand  between  my  legs,  and  I  did  not  wake 
until  my  fingers  were  severely  burnt.  There  was  an  end  of  my 
speculation  in  matches,  because  there  was  an  end  of  all  my 
capital." 

"  My  poor  Timothy,  I  really  feel  for  you." 

"  Not  at  all,  my  dear  Japhet ;  I  never,  in  all  my  distress, 
was  sentenced  to  execution — my  miseries  were  trifles,  to  be 
laughed  at.  However,  I  felt  very  miserable  at  the  time,  and 
walked  off,  thinking  about  the  propriety  of  getting  into  gaol  as 
soon  as  I  could,  for  the  beggar  had  strongly  recommended  it.  I 
was  at  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  when  I  perceived  two  men 
tussling  with  one  another,  and  I  walked  towards  them.  '  I  says,' 
says  one,  who  appeared  to  be  a  constable,  '  you  must  come  along 
with  I.  Don't  you  see  that  ere  board  ?  All  wagrants  shall  be 
taken  up,  and  dealt  with  according  to  la.'  '  Now  may  the  devil 
hold  you  in  his  claws,  you  old  psalm-singing  thief — an't  I  a 
sailor — and  an't  I  a  wagrant  by  profession,  and  all  according  to 
law  ?'  '  That  won't  do,'  says  the  other  ;  '  I  commands  you  in 
the  king's  name,  to  let  me  take  you  to  prison,  and  I  commands 
you  also,  young  man,'  says  he — for  I  had  walked  up  to  them — 
'  I  commands  you,  as  a  lawful  subject,  tc  assist  me.'  '  What  will 
you  give  the  poor  fellow  for  his  trouble  ?'  said  the  sailor.  '  It's 
his  duty,  as  a  lawful  subject,  and  I'll  give  him  nothing;  but  I'll 
put  him  in  prison  if  he  don't.'  '  Then,  you  old  Rhinoceros,  I'll 
give  him  five  shillings  if  he'll  help  me,  and  so  now  he  may  take 
bis  choice.'  At  all  events,  thought  I,  this  will  turn  out  lucky 
one  way  or  the  other  ;  but  I  will  support  the  man  who  is 
most  generous  ;  so  I  went  up  to  the  constable,  who  was  a  burly 
sort  of  a  fellow,  and  tripped  up  his  heels,  and  down  he  came  on 
the  back  of  his  head.  You  know  my  old  trick,  Japhet  ?" 


345 

"  Yes  ;  I  never  knew  you  fail  at  that." 

"'Well,'  the  sailor -says  to  me,  'I've  a  notion  you'\e 
damaged  his  upper  works,  so  let  us  start  off,  and  clap  on  all 
Bail  for  the  next  town.  I  know  where  to  drop  an  anchor. 
Come  along  with  me,  and  as  long  as  I've  a  shot  in  the  locker, 
d — n  me  if  I  won't  share  it  with  one  who  has  proved  a  friend 
in  need.'  The  constable  did  not  come  to  his  senses  ;  he  was 
very  much  stunned,  but  we  loosened  his  neckcloth,  and  left  him 
there,  and  started  off  as  fast  as  we  could.  My  new  companion, 
who  had  a  wooden  leg,  stopped  by  a  gate,  and  clambered  over 
it.  '  We  must  lose  no  time,'  said  he  ;  '  and  I  may  just  as  well 
have  the  benefit  of  both  legs.'  So  saying,  he  took  off  his 
wooden  stump,  and  let  down  his  real  leg,  which  was  fixed  up 
just  as  you  saw  mine.  I  made  no  comments  ;  but  off  we  set, 
and  at  a  good  round  pace  gained  a  village  about  five  miles  dis- 
tant. '  Here  we  will  put  up  for  the  night ;  but  they  will  look 
for  us  to-morrow  at  daylight,  or  a  little  after,  therefore  we 
must  be  starting  early.  I  know  the  law  beggars  well ;  they 
won't  turn  out  afore  sunrise.'  He  stopped  at  a  paltry  alehouse, 
where  we  were  admitted,  and  soon  were  busy  with  a  much  bet- 
ter supper  than  I  had  ever  imagined  they  could  have  produced ; 
but  my  new  friend  ordered  right  and  left,  with  a  tone  of 
authority,  and  every  body  in  the  house  appeared  at  his  beck 
and  command.  After  a  couple  of  glasses  of  grog,  we  retired 
to  our  beds. 

"  The  next  morning  we  started  before  break  of  day,  on  our 
road  to  another  town,  where  my  companion  said  the  constables 
would  never  take  the  trouble  to  come  after  him.  On  our  way 
he  questioned  me  as  to  my  mode  of  getting  a  livelihood,  and  I 
narrated  how  unfortunate  I  had  been.  '  One  good  turn 
deserves  another,'  replied  the  sailor  ;  '  and  now  I'll  set  you  up 
in  trade.  Can  you  sing  ?  Have  yon  any  thing  of  a  voice  ?' 

I  can't  say  that  I  have,'  replied  I.  '  I  don't  moan  whether 
you  can  sing  in  tune,  or  have  a  good  voice,  that's  no  conse- 
quence ;  all  I  wan't  to  know  is,  have  you  a  good  loud  one  T 

Loud  erough,  if  that's  all.'     '  That's  all  that's  requisite  ;  sc 


346  JAPHET,  IS  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

long  as  you  can  make  yourself  heard — you  may  then  howl  like 
a  jackall,  or  bellow  like  a  mad  buffalo,  no  matter  which — ae 
many  pay  us  for  to  get  rid  of  us,  as  out  of  charity  ;  and  sc 
long  as  the  money  comes,  what's  the  odds  ?  Why,  I  once  knew 
an  old  chap,  who  could  only  play  one  tune  on  the  clarionet, 
and  that  tune  out  of  all  tune,  who  made  his  fortune  m  six  or 
seven  streets,  for  every  one  gave  htm  money,  and  told  him  to 
go  away.  When  he  found  out  that,  he  came  every  morning  an 
regular  as  clock-work.  Now  there  was  one  of  the  streets 
which  was  chiefly  occupied  by  music  sellers  and  Italian  singers 
— for  them  foreigners  always  herd  together — and  this  tune, 
"  which  the  old  cow  died  of,"  as  the  saving  is,  used  to  be  their 
horror,  and  out  came  the  halfpence  to  send  him  away.  There 
was  a  sort  of  club  also  in  that  street,  of  larking  sort  of  young 
men  ;  and  when  they  perceived  that  the  others  gave  the  old 
man  money  to  get  rid  of  his  squeaking,  they  sent  him  out 
money,  with  orders  to  stay  and  play  to  them,  so  then  the 
others  sent  out  more  for  him  to  go  away,  and  between  the  two, 
the  old  fellow  brought  home  more  money  than  all  the  cadgers 
and  mumpers  in  the  district.  Now  if  you  have  a  loud  voice,  I 
can  provide  you  with  all  the  rest.' — '  Do  you  gain  your  liveli- 
hood by  that  ?' — '  To  be  sure  I  do  ;  and  I  can  tell  you,  that  ot 
all  the  trades  going,  there  is  none  equal  to  it.  You  see,  my 
hearty,  I  have  been  on  board  of  a  man-of-war — not  that  I'm  a 
sailor,  or  was  ever  bred  to  the  sea — but  I  was  shipped  as  a 
landsman,  and  did  duty  in  the  waist  and  afterguard.  I  know 
little  or  nothing  of  my  duty  as  a  seaman,  nor  was  it  required  in 
the  station  I  was  in,  so  I  never  learnt,  although  I  was  four 
years  on  board  ;  all  I  learnt  was  the  lingo  and  slang — and  that 
you  must  contrive  to  learn  from  me.  I  bolted,  and  made  my 
way  good  to  Lunnun,  but  I  should  soon  have  been  picked  up 
and  put  on  board  the  Tender  again,  if  I  hadn't  got  this  wooden 
stump  made,  which  I  now  carry  in  my  hand.  I  had  plenty  of 
songs,  and  I  commenced  my  profession,  and  a  real  good  un  it 
is,  I  can  tell  you.  Why,  do  you  know,  that  a'ter  a  good  vic- 
tory, I  have  sometimes  picked  up  as  much  as  two  pounds  a 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          347 

day  for  weeks  running  ;  as  it  is,  I  averages  from  fifteen  shil- 
lings to  a  pound.  Now,  as  you  helped  me  away  from  that 
land  shark,  who  would  soon  have  found  out  that  I  had  two 
legs,  and  have  put  me  into  limbo  as  an  impostor,  I  will  teach 
you  to  arn  your  livelihood  after  my  fashion.  You  shall  work 
with  me  until  you  are  fit  to  start  alone,  and  then  there's  plenty 
of  room  in  England  for  both  of  us  ;  but  mind,  never  tell  any 
one  what  you  pick  up,  or  every  mumper  in  the  island  will  put 
on  a  suit  of  sailor's  clothes,  and  the  thing  will  be  blown  upon.' 
Of  course,  this  was  too  good  an  offer  to  be  rejected,  and  I  joy- 
fully acceded.  At  first,  I  worked  with  him  as  having  only  one 
arm,  the  other  being  tied  down  to  my  side,  and  my  jacket 
sleeve  hanging  loose  and  empty,  and  we  roared  away  right  and 
left,  so  as  to  bring  down  a  shower  of  coppers  wherever  we 
went.  In  about  three  weeks  my  friend  thought  I  was  able  to 
start  by  myself ;  and  giving  me  half  of  the  ballads,  and  five 
shillings  to  start  with,  I  shook  hands  and  parted  with,  next  to 
you,  the  best  friend  that  I  certainly  ever  had.  Ever  since  I 
have  been  crossing  the  country  in  every  direction,  with  plenty 
of  money  in  my  pocket,  and  always  with  one  eye  looking  sharp 
out  for  you.  My  beautiful  voice  fortunately  attracted  your 
attention,  and  here  I  am,  and  at  an  end  of  my  history  ;  but  if 
ever  I  am  away  from  you,  and  in  distress  again,  depend  upon 
it  I  shall  take  to  my  wooden  leg  and  ballads  for  my  sup- 
port." 

Such  were  the  adventures  of  Timothy,  who  was  metamor- 
phosed into  a  precise  Quaker.  "  I  do  not  like  the  idea  of  your 
taking  up  a  system  of  deceit,  Timothy.  It  may  so  happen — for 
who  knows  what  may  occur  ? — that  you  may  again  be  thrown 
upon  your  own  resources.  Now  would  it  not  be  better  that 
you  should  obtain  a  more  intimate  knowledge  of  the  profession 
which  we  are  now  in,  which  is  liberal  and  equally  profitable  T 
By  attention  and  study  you  will  be  able  to  dispense  medicines 
aud  make  up  prescriptions  as  well  as  myself,  and  who  knows 
but  that  some  daj  you  may  be  the  owner  of  a  shop  like 
this?* 


348  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Yerily,  verily,  thy  words  do  savour  of  much  wisdom,'' 
replied  Tim,  in  a  grave  voice  ;  "  and  I  will  even  so  follow  thy 
advice." 


CHAPTER  LXIX. 

t   AM   UNSETTLED  BY  UNEXPECTED  INTELLIGENCE,  AND  AGAIN  YEAStf 
AFTER  THE  WORLD  OF  FASHION. 

I  KNEW  that  he  was  mocking  me  in  this  reply,  but  I  paid  no 
attention  to  that  ;  I  was  satisfied  that  he  consented.  I  now 
made  him  assist  me,  and  under  my  directions  he  made  up  the 
prescriptions.  I  explained  to  him  the  nature  of  every  medicine, 
and  I  made  him  read  many  books  of  physic  and  surgery.  In 
short,  after  two  or  three  months,  I  could  trust  to  Timothy  as 
well  as  if  I  were  in  the  shop  myself ;  and  having  an  errand-boy, 
I  had  much  more  leisure,  and  I  left  him  in  charge  after  dinner. 
The  business  prospered,  and  I  was  laying  up  money.  My 
leisure  time,  I  hardly  need  say,  was  spent  with  Mr.  Cophagus 
and  his  family,  and  my  attachment  to  Susannah  Temple 
increased  every  day.  Indeed,  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cophagus 
considered  that  it  was  to  be  a  match,  and  often  joked  with  me 
when  Susannah  was  not  present.  With  respect  to  Susannah,  I 
could  not  perceive  that  I  was  farther  advanced  in  her  affections 
than  after  I  had  known  her  two  months.  She  was  always  kind 
and  considerate,  evidently  interested  in  my  welfare,  always 
checking  in  me  anything  like  levity — frank  and  confiding  in  her 
opinions — and  charitable  to  all,  as  I  thought,  except  to  me. 
But  I  made  no  advance  that  I  could  perceive.  The  fact  was, 
that  I  dared  not  speak  to  her  as  I  might  have  done  to  another 
who  was  not  so  perfect.  And  yet  she  smiled,  as  I  thought, 
more  kindly  when  I  returned  than  at  other  times,  and  never 
appeared  to  be  tired  of  my  company.  If  I  did  sometimes  men 
tion  the  marriage  of  another,  or  attentions  paid  which  would, 
in  all  probability,  end  in  marriage,  it  would  create  no  confusion 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          349 

or  blushing  on  her  part ;  she  would  talk  over  that  subject  as 
composedly  as  any  other.  I  was  puzzled  ;  and  I  had  been  a 
year  and  nine  mouths  constantly  in  her  company,  and  had  nevei 
dared  to  tell  her  that  I  loved  her.  But  one  day  Mr.  Cophagus 
brought  up  the  subject  when  we  were  alone.  He  commenced 
by  stating  how  happy  he  had  been  as  a  married  man  ;  that  h» 
had  given  up  all  hopes  of  a  family,  and  that  he  should  like  to 
see  Susannah  Temple,  his  sister-in-law,  well  married,  that  he 
might  leave  his  property  to  her  children  ;  and  then  he  put  the 
very  pertinent  question — "Japhet — verily  —  thou  hast  done 
well — good  business — money  coming  hi  fast — settle,  Japhet — 
marry — have  children — and  so  on.  Susannah — nice  girl — good 
wife — pop  question — all  right — sly  puss — won't  say  no — um — 
what  d'ye  say  ? — and  so  on."  I  replied  that  I  was  very  much 
attached  to  Susannah  ;  but  that  I  was  afraid  that  the  attach- 
ment was  not  mutual,  and  therefore  hesitated  to  propose. 
Cophagus  then  said  that  he  would  make  his  wife  sound  his 
sister,  and  let  me  know  the  result. 

This  was  in  the  morning,  just  before  I  was  about  to  walk 
over  to  the  shop,  and  I  left  the  house  in  a  state  of  anxiety  and 
suspense.  When  I  arrived  at  the  shop,  I  found  Tim  there  aa 
fcsual ;  but  the  colour  in  his  face  was  heightened  as  he  said  to 
me,  "  Read  this,  Japhet,"  and  handed  to  me  the  "  Reading 
Mercury."  I  read  an  advertisement  as  follows  : — 

"  If  Japhet  Newland,  who  was  left  at  the  Foundling  A.sy 
lum,  and  was  afterwards  for  some  time  in  London,  will  call  at 
No.  16  Throgmorton  Court,  Miuories,  he  will  hear  of  something 
very  much  to  his  advantage,  and  will  discover  that  of  which  he 
has  been  so  long  in  search.  Should  this  reach  his  eye,  he  is 
requested  to  write  immediately  to  the  above  address,  with  full 
particulars  of  his  situation.  Should  any  one  who  reads  this  be 
able  to  give  any  information  relative  to  the  said  J.  N.,  he  will 
be  liberally  rewarded." 

I  sank  down  on  the  chair.     "  Merciful  Heaven  I  this  can  bo 


350  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

no  mistake — '  he  will  discover  the  object  of  his  search.'  Timo» 
thy,  my  dear  Timothy,  I  have  at  last  found  out  my  father." 

"  So  I  should  imagine,  my  dear  Japhet,"  replied  Timothy 
'•  and  I  trust  it  will  not  prove  a  disappointment." 

"  They  never  will  be  so  cruel,  Timothy,"  replied  I. 

"  But  still  it  is  evident  that  Mr.  Masterton  is  concerned  in 
it,"  observed  Timothy. 

"  Why  so  ?"  inquired  I. 

"  How  otherwise  should  it  appear  in  the  Reading  newspaper  ? 
He  must  have  examined  the  post-mark  of  my  letter." 

To  explain  this,  I  must  remind  the  reader  that  Timothy  had 
promised  to  write  to  Mr.  Masterton  when  he  found  me  ;  and  he 
requested  my  permission  shortly  after  we  had  met  again.  I 
consented  to  his  keeping  his  word,  but  restricted  him  to  saying 
any  more  than  "  that  he  had  found  me,  and  that  I  was  well 
and  happy."  There  was  no  address  in  the  letter  as  a  clue  to 
Mr.  Masterton  as  to  where  I  might  be,  and  it  could  only  have 
been  front  the  post-mark  that  he  could  have  formed  any  idea. 
Timothy's  surmise  was  therefore  very  probable  ;  but  I  would 
hot  believe  that  Mr.  Masterton  would  consent  to  the  insertion 
of  that  portion  of  the  advertisement,  if  there  was  no  foundation 
for  it. 

"  What  will  you  do,  Japhet  ?" 

"  Do,"  replied  I,  recovering  from  my  reverie,  for  the  informa- 
tion had  again  roused  up  ah1  my  dormant  feelings — "  Do," 
replied  I,  "  why,  I  shall  set  off  for  town  this  very  morning." 

"  In  that  dress,  Japhet  ?" 

"  I  suppose  I  must,"  replied  I,  "  for  I  have  no  tune  to  procure 
another  ;"  and  all  my  former  ideas  of  fashion  and  appearance 
were  roused,  and  in  full  activity — my  pride  recovered  its  ascen- 
dency. 

"  Well,"  replied  Timothy,  "  I  hope  you  will  find  your  father 
all  that  you  could  wish." 

"  I'm  sure  of  it,  Tim — I'm  sure  of  it,"  replied  I ;  "  you 
must  run  and  take  a  place  in  the  first  coach." 

"But  you  are  not  going  without  seeing  Mr.  and  Mrs 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  351 

Cophagus,  and — Miss  Temple,"  continued  Tim,  laying  a  a  em- 
phasis upon  the  latter  name. 

"  Of  coarse  not,"  replied  I,  colouring  deeply.  "  I  will  go  at 
once.  Give  me  the  newspaper,  Tim." 

I  took  the  newspaper,  and  hastened  to  the  house  of  Mr, 
Cophagus.  I  found  them  all  three  sitting  in  the  breakfast  par- 
lour, Mr.  Cophagus,  as  usual,  reading,  with  his  spectacles  on 
bis  nose,  and  the  ladies  at  work.  "  What  is  the  matter,  friend 
Japhet  ?"  exclaimed  Mr.  Cophagus,  as  I  burst  into  the  room, 
my  countenance  lighted  up  with  excitement.  "  Kcad  that,  sir," 
said  I  to  Mr.  Cophagus.  Mr.  Cophagus  read  it.  "  Hum — bad 
news — lose  Japhet — man  of  fashion — and  so  on,"  said  Copha- 
gus, pointing  out  the  paragraph  to  his  wife,  as  he  handed  over 
the  paper. 

In  the  mean  time  I  watched  the  countenance  of  Susannah — 
a  slight  emotion,  but  instantly  checked,  was  visible  at  Mr. 
Cophagus's  remark.  She  then  remained  quiet  until  her  sister, 
who  had  read  the  paragraph,  handed  the  paper  to  her.  "  I 
give  thee  joy,  Japhet,  at  the  prospect  of  finding  out  thy 
parent,"  said  Mrs.  Cophagus.  "  I  trust  thou  wilt  find  him  one 
who  is  to  be  esteemed  as  a  man.  When  departest  thou  ?" 

"  Immediately,"  replied  I. 

"  I  cannot  blame  thee— the  ties  of  nature  are  ever  powerful. 
[  trust  that  thou  wUt  write  to  us,  and  that  we  soon  shall  see 
thee  return." 

"Yes,  yes,"  said  Cophagus,  "see  father — shake  hands — 
come  back — heh  ! — settle  here — and  so  on." 

"  I  shall  not  be  altogether  my  own  master,  perhaps,"  observed 
I.  "  If  my  father  desires  that  I  remain  with  him,  must  not  I 
obey  ?  But  I  know  nothing  at  present.  You  shall  hear  from 
me.  Timothy  can  take  my  place  in  the  -  -"I  could  not  bear 
the  idea  of  the  word  shop,  and  I  stopi>ed.  Susannah,  for  the 
first  time,  looked  me  earnestly  in  the  face,  but  she  said  nothing. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cophagus,  who  probably  had  been  talking  over 
the  subject  of  our  conversation,  and  thought  this  a  good  opjwr 
tunity  to  allow  me  to  have  an  edtiirc'uxcmfnt  with  Susanniti 


352  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER 

left  the  room,  saying  they  would  look  after  my  portmanteao 
and  linen.  "Susannah,"  said  I,  "you  do  not  appear  to  rejoice 
with  me." 

"  Japhet  Newland,  I  will  rejoice  at  every  thing  that  may 
tend  to  thy  happiness,  believe  me  ;  but  I  do  not  feel  assured 
but  that  this  trial  may  prove  too  great,  and  that  thou  mayst 
fall  away.  Indeed,  I  perceive  even  now  that  thou  art  excited 
with  new  ideas,  and  visions  of  pride." 

"  If  I  am  wrong,  forgive  me.  Susannah,  you  must  know 
that  the  whole  object  of  my  existence  has  been  to  find  my 
father  ;  and  now  that  I  have  every  reason  to  suppose  that  my 
wish  is  obtained,  can  you  be  surprised,  or  can  you  blame  me, 
that  I  long  to  be  pressed  in  his  arms  ?" 

"  Nay,  Japhet,  for  that  filial  feeling  I  do  commend  thee  ; 
but  ask  thy  own  heart,  is  that  the  only  feeling  which  now 
exciteth  thee  ?  Dost  thou  not  expect  to  find  thy  father  one 
high  in  rank  and  power  ?  Dost  thou  not  anticipate  to  join  once 
more  the  world  which  thou  hast  quitted,  yet  still  hast  sighed 
for  ?  Dost  thou  not  already  feel  contempt  for  thy  honest  pro- 
fession : — nay,  more,  dost  thou  not  only  long  to  cast  off  the 
plain  attire,  and  not  only  the  attire,  but  the  sect  which  in 
thy  adversity  thou  didst  embrace  the  tenets  of  ?  Ask  thy  own 
heart,  and  reply  if  thou  wilt,  but  I  press  thee  not  so  to  do  ;  for 
the  truth  would  be  painful,  and  a  lie,  thou  knowest,  I  do  utterly 
abhor." 

I  felt  that  Susannah  spoke  the  truth,  and  I  would  not  deny 
it.  I  sat  dowu  by  her.  "  Susannah,"  said  I,  "  it  is  not  verj 
easy  to  change  at  once.  I  have  mixed  for  years  in  the  world, 
with  you  I  have  not  yet  lived  two.  I  will  not  deny  but  that 
the  feelings  you  have  expressed  have  risen  in  my  heart,  but  I 
will  try  to  repress  them  ;  at  least  for  your  sake,  Susannah,  I 
would  try  to  repress  them,  for  I  value  your  opinion  more  than 
that  of  the  whole  world.  You  have  the  power  to  do  with  me 
as  you  please  : — will  you  exert  that  power  ?" 

"  Japhet,"  replied  Susannah,  "  the  faith  which  is  not  built 
upon  a  more  solid  foundation  than  to  win  the  favour  of  an  en* 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  353 

ing  being  like  myself  is  but  weak  ;  that  power  over  tbee  which 
thou  expcctedst  will  fix  thee  in  the  right  path  may  soon  be  lost, 
and  what  is  then  to  direct  thee  ?  If  no  purer  motives  than 
earthly  affection  are  to  be  thy  stay,  most  surely  thou  wilt  fall. 
But  no  more  of  this  ;  thou  hast  a  duty  to  perform,  which  is  to 
go  to  thy  earthly  father,  and  seek  his  blessing.  Nay,  more,  I 
would  that  thou  shouldst  once  more  enter  into  the  world  ;  there 
thou  mayst  decide.  Shouldst  thou  return  to  us,  thy  friends 
will  rejoice,  and  not  one  of  them  will  be  more  joyful  than 
Susannah  Temple.  Fare  thee  well,  Japbet,  mayst  thou  prove 
superior  to  temptation.  I  will  pray  for  thee — earnestl)  will  I 
pray  for  thee,  Japhet,"  continued  Susannah,  with  a  qu  vering 
of  her  lips  and  broken  voice,  and  she  left  the  room 


CHAPTER  LXX. 

I    RETURN   TO   LONDON,   AND   MEET   WITH    MR.    MASTERTON. 

I  WENT  up  stairs,  and  found  that  all  was  ready,  and  I  took 
leave  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cophagus,  both  of  whom  expressed  their 
hopes  that  I  would  not  leave  them  for  ever.  "  Oh,  no,"  replied 
I,  "  I  should  indeed  be  base  if  I  did."  I  left  them,  and  with 
I}phraim  following  with  my  portmanteau,  I  quitted  the  h«-(ise. 
I  had  gone  about  twenty  yards,  when  I  recollected  that  I  had 
left  on  the  table  the  newspaper  with  the  advertisement  contuin- 
ing  the  direction  whom  to  apply  to,  and  desiring  Ephraim  to 
proceed,  I  returned.  When  I  entered  the  parlour,  Susannah 
Temple  was  resting  her  face  in  her  hands  and  weeping.  The 
opening  of  the  door  made  her  start  up ;  she  perceived  that  it 
was  I,  and  she  turned  away.  "  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  left  the 
newspaper,"  said  I,  stammering.  I  was  about  to  throw  myself 
at  her  feet,  declare  iny  sincere  affection,  and  give  up  all  idea  of 
Gnding  ray  father  uutil  we  were  married,  when  j-he,  without 


354  JAPHEP,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

saying  a  word,  passed  quickly  by  me,  and  hastened  out  of  the 
room.  "  She  loves  me,  then,"  thought  I ;  "  thank  God  : — I 
will  not  go  yet,  I  will  speak  to  her  first."  I  sat  down,  quite 
overpowered  with  contending  feelings.  The  paper  was  in  my 
hand,  the  paragraph  was  again  read  ;  I  thought  but  of  my 
father,  and  I  left  the  house. 

In  half  an  hour  I  had  shaken  hands  with  Timothy  and  quitted 
the  town  of  Reading.  How  I  arrived  in  London,'  that  is  to 
say,  what  passed,  or  what  we  passed,  I  know  not  ;  my  mind 
was  in  such  a  state  of  excitement.  I  hardly  know  how  to  ex- 
press the  state  I  was  in.  It  was  a  sort  of  mental  whirling 
which  blinded  me — round  and  round — from  my  father  and  the 
expected  meeting,  then  to  Susannah,  my  departure  and  her 
tears — castle  building  of  every  description.  After  the  coach 
stopped,  there  I  remained  fixed  on  ,the  top  of  it,  not  aware 
that  we  were  in  London,  until  the  coachman  asked  me  whether 
the  spirit  did  not  move  me  to  get  down.  I  recollected  myself, 
and  calling  a  hackney-coach,  gave  orders  to  be  driven  to  the 
Piazza,  Covent  Garden. 

"  Piazza,  Covent  Garden,"  said  the  waterman  ;  "  why  that 
ban't  an  'otel  for  the  like  o'  you,  master.  They'll  torment  you 
to  death,  them  young  chaps." 

I  had  forgotten  that  I  was  dressed  as  a  Quaker.  "  Tell  the 
coachman  to  stop  at  the  first  cloth  warehouse  where  they  have 
ready-made  cloaks,"  said  I.  The  man  did  so  ;  I  went  out  and 
purchased  a  roquelaure,  which  enveloped  my  whole  person.  I 
then  stopped  at  a  hatter's,  and  purchased  a  hat  according  to 
the  mode.  "  Now  drive  to  the  Piazza,"  said  I,  entering  the 
coach.  I  know  not  why,  but  I  was  resolved  to  go  to  that  hotel. 
It  was  the  one  I  had  stayed  at  when  I  first  arrived  in  London, 
and  1  wished  to  see  it  again.  When  the  hackney  coach  stopped 
I  asked  the  waiter  who  came  out  whether  he  had  apartments, 
and  answering  me  in  the  affirmative,  I  followed  him,  and  was 
shown  into  the  same  rooms  I  had  previously  occupied.  "  These 
will  do,"  said  I,  "  now  let  me  have  something  to  eat,  and  send 
for  a  good  tailor  "  The  waiter  offered  to  remove  my  cloak,  but 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCB  OF  A  FATHER.  855 

[  refused,  saying  that  I  was  cold.  He  left  the  room,  and  I 
threw  myself  on  the  sofa,  running  over  all  the  scenes  which  had 
passed  in  that  room  with  Carbonnell,  Harcourt,  and  others. 
My  thoughts  were  broken  in  upon  by  the  arrival  of  the  tailor 
"  Stop  a  moment,"  said  I,  "  and  let  him  come  in  when  I  ring.'- 
So  ashamed  was  I  of  my  Quaker's  dress,  that  I  threw  off  my  coat 
and  waistcoat,  and  put  on  my  cloak  again  before  I  rang  the  bell 

for  the  tailor  to  come  up.  "  Mr. ,"  said  I,  "  I  must  have 

a  suit  of  clothes  ready  by  to-morrow  at  ten  o'clock." 

"  Impossible,  sir." 

"  Impossible  !"  said  I,  "  and  you  pretend  to  be  a  fashionable 
tailor.  Leave  the  room." 

At  this  peremptory  behaviour,  the  tailor  imagined  that  I 
must  be  somebody. 

"  I  will  do  my  possible,  sir,  and  if  I  can  only  get  home  in 
time  to  stop  the  workmen,  I  think  it  may  be  managed.  Of 
course,  you  are  aware  of  the  expense  of  night  work." 

"  I  am  only  aware  of  this,  that  if  I  give  an  order,  I  am 
accustomed  to  have  it  obeyed  ;  I  learnt  that  from  my  poor 
friend,  Major  Carbonnell." 

The  tailor  bowed  low  ;  there  was  magic  in  the  namef 
although  the  man  was  dead. 

"  Here  have  I  been  masquerading  in  a  Quaker's  dress,  to 
please  a  puritanical  young  lady,  and  I  am  obliged  to  be  off 
without  any  other  clothes  in  my  portmanteau  ;  so  take  my 
measure,  and  I  expect  the  clothes  at  ten  precisely."  So  saying, 
I  threw  off  my  roquelaure,  and  desired  him  to  proceed.  Tbid 
accomplished,  the  tradesman  took  his  leave.  Shortly  after- 
wards, the  door  opened,  and  as  I  lay  wrapjwd  up  in  my  cloak 
on  the  sofa,  in  came  the  landlord  and  two  waiters,  each  bearing 
a  dish  of  my  supper.  I  wished  them  at  the  devil  ;  but  I  wua 
still  more  surprised  when  the  landlord  made  a  low  bow,  saying, 
"  Happy  to  see  you  returned,  Mr.  Newland  ;  you've  lx.ru 
away  some  time — another  grand  tour,  I  presume." 

"  Yes,  Mr. ,  I  have  had  a  few  adventures  since  I  was 

last  here  "  replied  I,  carelessly,  "  but  I  am  not  very  well.  You 


356  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

may  leave  the  supper,  and  if  I  feel  inclined,  I  will  take  a  little 
by  and  by — no  one  need  wait." 

The  landlord  and  waiter  bowed,  and  went  out  of  the  room. 
I  turned  the  key  of  the  door,  put  on  my  Quaker's  coat,  and 
made  a  hearty  supper,  for  I  had  had  nothing  since  breakfast. 
Wlu-D  I  had  finished,  I  returned  to  the  sofa,  and  I  could  not 
help  analysing  my  own  conduct.  "  Alas,"  thought  I,  "  Susan 
nah,  how  rightly  did  you  judge  me  !  I  am  not  away  from  you 
more  than  eighteen  hours,  and  here  I  am  ashamed  of  the  dress 
which  I  have  so  long  worn,  and  been  satisfied  with,  in  your 
society.  Truly  did  you  say  that  I  was  full  of  pride,  and  would 
joyfully  re-enter  the  world  of  vanity  and  vexation."  And  I 
thought  of  Susannah,  and  her  tears  after  my  supposed  depar- 
ture, and  I  felt  angry  and  annoyed  at  my  want  of  strength  of 
mind  and  my  worldly  feelings. 

I  retired  early  to  bed,  and  did  not  wake  until  late  the  next 
morning.  When  I  rang  the  bell,  the  chambermaid  brought  hi 
my  clothes  from  the  tailor's  :  I  dressed,  and  I  will  not  deny 
that  I  was  pleased  with  the  alteration.  After  breakfast  I 
ordered  a  coach,  and  drove  to  No.  16  Throginorton  Court, 
Minories.  The  house  was  dirty  outside,  and  the  windows  had 
not  been  cleaned  apparently  for  years,  and  it  was  with  some 
difficulty,  when  I  went  in,  that  I  could  decipher  a  tall,  haggard- 
looking  man  seated  at  the  desk. 

"  Your  pleasure,  sir  ?"  said  he. 

"  Am  I  speaking  to  the  principal  ?"  replied  L 

"  Yes,  sir,  my  name  is  Chatfield." 

"  I  come  to  you,  sir,  relative  to  an  advertisement  which 
appeared  in  the  papers.  I  refer  to  this,"  continued  I,  putting 
the  newspaper  down  on  the  desk,  and  pointing  to  the  advertise- 
ment. 

"  Oh,  yes,  very  true  ;  can  you  give  us  any  information  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  can,  and  the  most  satisfactory." 

"  Then,  sir,  I  am  sorry  that  you  have  had  so  much  trouble, 
but  you  must  call  at  Lincoln's  Inn  upon  a  lawyer  of  the  name 
of  Masterton  :  the  whole  affair  is  QOW  in  his  hands  " 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER  357 

"  Can  you,  sir,  inform  me  who  is  the  party  that  is  inquiring 
after  this  young  man  ?" 

"  Why,  yes  ;  it  is  a  General  De  Beuyon,  who  has  lately 
returned  from  the  East  Indies." 

"  Good  God  !  is  it  possible  !"  thought  I ;  "  how  strange  that 
my  own  wild  fancy  should  have  settled  upon  him  as  my  father  !" 

I  hurried  away  ;  threw  myself  into  the  hackney-coach,  and 
desired  the  man  to  drive  to  Lincoln's  Inn.  I  hastened  up  to 
Mr.  Masterton's  rooms  :  he  was  fortunately  at  home,  although 
he  stood  at  the  table  with  his  hat  and  his  great  coat  on,  ready 
to  go  out. 

"  My  dear  sir,  have  you  forgotten  me  ?"  said  I,  in  a  voice 
choked  with  emotion,  taking  his  hand  and  squeezing  it  with 
rapture. 

"  By  heavens,  you  are  determined  that  I  shall  not  forget  you 
for  some  minutes,  at  least !"  exclaimed  he,  wringing  his  hand 
with  pain.  "  Who  the  devil  are  you  ?" 

Mr.  Masterton  could-  not  see  without  his  spectacles,  and  my 
subdued  voice  he  had  not  recognised.  He  pulled  them  out,  as 
I  made  no  reply,  and  fixing  them  across  his  nose — "  Hah  !  why 
yes — it  is  Japhet,  is  it  not  ?" 

"  It  is  indeed,  sir,"  said  I,  again  offering  my  hand,  which  ho 
shook  warmly. 

"  Not  quite  so  hard,  my  dear  fellow,  this  time,"  said  the  old 
lawyer  ;  "  I  acknowledge  your  vigour,  and  that  is  sufficient.  I 
am  very  glad  to  see  you,  Japhet,  I  am  indeed — you — you 
scamp — you  ungrateful  fellow.  Sit  down — sit  down — first  help 
me  off  with  my  great  coat  :  I  presume  the  advertisement  has 
brought  you  into  existence  again.  Well,  it's  all  true  ;  and 
you  have  at  last  found  your  father,  or,  rather,  he  has  found 
you.  And  what's  more  strange,  you  hit  upon  the  right  person  ; 
that  is  strange — very  strange  indeed." 

"Where  is  he,  sir?" interrupted  I,  "where  is  he — take  me  to 
him." 

"  No,  rather  be  excused/'  replied  Mr  Masterton,  "  for  he  hrw 
gone  to  Ireland  ;  so  you  must  wait." 


358  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"Wait,  sir,  oh  no — I  must  follow  him." 

"  That  will  only  do  harm ;  for  he  is  rather  a  queer  sort  of 
an  old  gentleman,  and  although  he  acknowledges  that  he  left 
you  as  Japhet  and  has  searched  for  you,  yet  he  is  so  afraid  of 
somebody  else's  brat  being  put  upon  him,  that  he  insists  upon 
most  undeniable  proofs.  Now,  we  cannot  trace  you  from  the 
hospital  unless  we  can  find  that  fellow  Cophagus,  and  we 
have  made  every  search  after  him,  and  no  one  can  tell  where 
he  is." 

"  But  I  left  him  but  yesterday  morning,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"  Good — very  good  ;  we  must  send  for  him  or  go  to  him  ; 
besides,  he  has  the  packet  entrusted  to  the  care  of  Miss  Mait- 
land,  to  whom  he  was  executor,  which  proves  the  marriage  of 
your  father.  Yery  strange — very  strange  indeed,  that  you 
should  have  hit  upon  it  as  you  did — almost  supernatural. 
However,  all  right  now,  my  dear  boy,  and  I  congratulate  you. 
Your  father  is  a  very  strange  person  :  he  has  lived  like  a  des- 
pot among  slaves  all  his  life,  and  will  not  be  thwarted,  I  can 
tell  you.  If  yon  say  a  word  in  contradiction  he'll  disinherit 
you  : — terrible  old  tiger,  I  must  say.  If  it  had  not  been  for 
your  sake,  I  should  have  done  with  him  long  ago.  He  seems 
to  think  the  world  ought  to  be  at  his  feet.  Depend  upon  it, 
Japhet,  there  is  no  hurry  about  seeing  him  ;  and  see  him  you 
shall  not,  until  we  have  every  proof  of  your  identity  ready  to 
produce  to  him.  I  hope  you  have  the  bump  of  veneration 
strong,  Japhet,  and  plenty  of  filial  duty,  or  you  will  be  kicked 
out  of  the  house  in  a  week.  D — n  me,  if  he  didn't  call  me  an 
old  thief  of  a  lawyer." 

"  Indeed,  sir,"  replied  I,  laughing ;  "  I  must  apologise  to  you 
for  my  father's  conduct." 

"Never  mind,  Japhet ;  I  don't  care  about  a  trifle  ;  but  why 
don't  you  ask  after  your  friends  ?" 

"I  have  longed  so  to  do,  sir,"  replied  I.  "Lord  Winder 
rnear " 

"  Is  quite  well,  and  will  be  most  happy  to  see  you." 

"  Lady  de  Clare,  and  her  daughter " 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  359 

"  Lady  de  Clare  has  entered  into  society  again,  and  her 
daughter,  as  you  call  her — your  Fleta,  alias  Cecilia  de  Clare — 
is  the  belle  of  the  metropolis.  But  now,  sir,  as  I  have  answered 
all  your  interrogatories,  and  satisfied  you  upon  the  most  essen- 
tial points,  will  you  favour  me  with  a  narrative  of  your  adven- 
tures, (for  adventures  I  am  sure  you  must  have  had,)  since  you 
ran  away  from  us  all  in  that  ungrateful  manner  ?" 

"Most  certainly,  sir,  I  will;  and,  as  you  say,  1  have  had 
adventures.  But  it  really  will  be  a  long  story." 

"  Then  we'll  dine  here,  and  pass  the  evening  together — BO 
that's  settled." 


CHAPTER  LXXI. 

IK  WHICH  I  AM  LET  INTO  MORE  PARTICULARS  RELATIVE  TO  MY 
FATHER'S  HISTORY. 

I  DISMISSED  the  coach,  while  Mr.  Masterton  gave  his  orders 
for  dinner,  and  we  then  turned  the  key  in  the  door  to  avoid 
intrusion,  and  I  commenced.  It  was  nearly  dinner-time  before 
I  had  finished  my  story. 

"  Well,  you  really  appear  to  be  born  for  getting  into  scrapes, 
and  getting  out  of  them  again  in  a  miraculous  way,"  observed 
Mr.  Masterton.  "  Your  life  would  make  a  novel." 

"  It  would  indeed,  sir,"  replied  I.  "  I  only  hope,  like  all 
novels,  it  will  wind  up  well." 

"  So  do  I ;  but  dinner's  ready,  Japhet,  and  after  dinner  we'll 
talk  the  matter  over  again,  for  there  are  some  points  upon 
which  I  require  some  explanation." 

"  We  sat  down  to  dinner,  and  when  we  had  finished,  and 
the  table  had  been  cleared,  we  drew  to  the  fire,  with  our  bottle 
of  wine.  Mr.  Masterton  stirred  the  fire,  called  for  his  slippers, 
and  then  crossing  his  legs  over  the  fender,  resumed  the  subject 

"Japhet,  I  consider  it  most  fortunate  that  we  have  met 


360  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

previous  to  your  introduction  to  your  father.  You  have  so  far 
to  congratulate  yourself,  that  your  family  is  undeniably  good, 
there  being,  as  you  know,  an  Irish  peerage  in  it ;  of  which,  how- 
ever, you  have  no  chance,  as  the  present  earl  has  a  numerous 
offspring.  You  are  also  fortunate  as  far  as  money  is  concerned, 
as  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  your  father  is  a  very  rich 
man,  and,  of  course,  you  are  his  only  child;  but  I  must  now 
prepare  you  to  meet  with  a  very  different  person  than  perhaps 
the  fond  anticipations  of  youth  may  have  led  you  to  expect. 
Your  father  has  no  paternal  feelings  that  I  can  discover;  he  has 
wealth,  and  he  wishes  to  leave  it — he  has  therefore  sought  you 
out.  But  he  is  despotic,  violent,  aud  absurd;  the  least  oppo- 
sition to  his  will  makes  him  furious,  and  I  am  sorry  to  add, 
that  I  am  afraid  that  he  is  very  mean.  He  suffered  severely 
when  young  from  poverty,  and  his  own  father  was  almost  as 
authoritative  and  unforgiving  as  himself.  And  now  I  will  state 
how  it  was  that  you  were  left  at  the  Asylum  when  an  infant. 
Your  grandfather  had  procured  for  your  father  a  commission  in 
the  army,  and  soon  afterwards  procured  him  a  lieutenancy. 
He  ordered  him  to  marry  a  young  lady  of  large  fortune,  whom 
he  had  never  seen,  aud  sent  for  him  for  that  purpose.  I  under 
stand  that  she  was  very  beautiful,  and  had  your  father  seen  her 
it  is  probable  he  would  have  made  uo  objection;  but  he  very 
foolishly  sent  a  peremptory  refusal,  for  which  he  was  dismissed 
for  ever.  In  a  short  time  afterwards  your  father  fell  in  love 
with  a  young  lady  of  great  personal  attractions,  and  supposed 
to  possess  a  large  fortune.  To  deceive  her,  he  pretended  to  be 
the  heir  to  the  earldom,  and,  after  a  hasty  courtship,  they  ran 
off  and  were  married.  When  they  compared  notes,  which  they 
soon  did,  it  was  discovered  that,  on  his  side,  he  had  nothing  but 
the  pay  of  a  subaltern,  and  on  hers,  that  she  had  not  one  shil- 
ling. Your  father  stormed,  and  called  his  wife  an  impostor; 
she  recriminated,  and  the  second  morning  after  the  marriage 
was  passed  in  tears  on  her  side,  and  oaths,  curses,  and  revilings 
on  his.  The  lady,  however,  appeared  the  more  sensible  party 
of  the  two.  Their  marriage  was  not  knowu.  she  had  run  away 


JAPHET,  IX  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  361 

on  a  pretence  to  visit  a  relative,  and  it  was  actually  supposed  in 
the  country  town  where  she  resided,  that  such  was  the  case. 
'Why  should  we  quarrel  in  this  way?'  observed  she.  'You, 
Edmund,  wished  to  marry  a  fortune,  and  not  me — I  may  plead 
guilty  to  the  same  duplicity.  We  have  made  a  mistake  ;  but  it 

is  not  too  late.  It  is  supposed  that  I  am  on  a  visit  to , 

nnd  that  you  are  on  furlough  for  a  few  days.  Did  you  confide 
your  secret  to  any  of  your  brother  officers  ?'  '  Not  one/  mut- 
tered your  father.  '  Well,  then,  let  us  part  as  if  nothing  had 
happened,  and  nobody  will  be  the  wiser.  We  are  equally 
interested  in  keeping  the  secret.  Is  it  agreed  ?' — Your  father 
immediately  consented.  He  accompanied  your  mother  to  the 

house  at ,  where  she  was  expected,  and  she  framed  a 

story  for  her  delay,  by  having  met  such  a  very  polite  young 
man.  Your  father  returned  to  his  regiment,  and  thus  did  they, 
like  two  privateers,  who,  when  they  meet  and  engage,  as  soon 
as  they  find  out  their  mistake,  hoist  their  colours,  and  sheer  off 
by  mutual  consent." 

"  I  can't  say  much  for  my  mother's  affection  or  delicacy," 
observed  I. 

"  The  less  you  say  the  better,  Japhet — however,  that  is  your 
father's  story.  And  now  to  proceed.  It  appears  that,  about 
two  months  afterwards,  your  father  received  a  letter  from  your 
mother,  acquainting  him  that  their  short  intercourse  had  been 
productive  of  certain  results,  and  requesting  that  he  would  take 
the  necessary  steps  to  provide  for  the  child,  and  avoid  exposure, 
or  that  she  would  be  obliged  to  confess  her  marriage.  By  what 
means  they  contrived  to  avoid  exposure  until  the  period  of  her 
confinement,  I  know  not,  but  your  father  states  that  the  child 
WM  born  in  a  house  in  London,  and,  by  agreement,  was 
instantly  put  into  his  hands  ;  that  he,  with  the  consent  of  his 
wife,  left  you  at  the  door  of  the  Asylum,  with  the  paper  and  the 
bank  note,  from  which  you  received  the  name  of  Newland.  At 
the  time,  he  had  no  idea  of  reclaiming  you  himself ;  but  the 
mother  had  ;  for,  heartless  as  she  appears  to  have  been,  yet  a 
mother  must  feel  for  her  child.  Your  father's  regiment  was 

16 


362  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

then  ordered  out  to  the  East  Indies,  and  he  was  rapidly  pro- 
moted for  his  gallantry  and  good  conduct  during  the  war 
in  the  Mysore  territory.  Once  only  has  he  returned  home  on 
furlough,  and  then  he  did  make  some  inquiries  after  yon ;  not,  it 
appears,  with  a  view  of  finding  you  out  on  his  own  account,  but 
from  a  promise  which  he  made  your  mother. 

"  My  mother  !  what,  have  they  met  since  ?" 

"  Yes  ;  your  mother  went  out  to  India  on  speculation,  pass- 
ing off  as  a  single  girl,  and  was  very  well  married  there,  I  was 
going  to  say  ;  however,  she  committed  a  very  splendid  bigamy." 

"  Good  heavens  !  how  totally  destitute  of  principle  !" 

"  Your  father  asserts  that  your  mother  was  a  free-thinker, 
Japhet ;  her  father  had  made  her  one  ;  without  religion  a 
woman  has  no  stay.  Your  father  was  in  the  up  country  during 
the  time  that  your  mother  arrived,  and  was  married  to  one 
of  the  council  of  Calcutta.  Your  father  says  that  they  met  at 
a  ball  at  Government  House.  She  was  still  a  very  handsome 
woman,  and  much  admired.  When  your  father  recognised  her, 
and  was  told  that  she  was  lately  married  to  the  honourable 

Mr. ,  he  was  quite  electrified,  and  would  have  quitted  the 

room  ;  but  she  had  perceived  him,  and  walking  up  to  him  with 
the  greatest  coolness,  claimed  him  as  an  old  acquaintance  in 
England,  and  afterwards  they  often  met,  but  she  never  adverted 
to  what  had  passed  between  them,  until  the  time  for  his 
departure  to  England  on  leave,  and  she  then  sent  for  him,  and 
begged  that  he  would  make  some  inquiries  after  you,  Japhet. 
He  did  so,  and  you  know  the  result.  On  his  return  to  India  he 
found  that  your  mother  had  been  carried  off  by  the  prevailing 
pestilence.  At  that  period,  your  father  was  not  rich,  but  he 
was  then  appointed  to  the  chief  command  in  the  Carnatic,  and 
reaped  a  golden  harvest  in  return  for  his  success  and  bravery. 
It  appears,  as  far  as  I  could  obtain  it  from  him,  that  as  long  aa 
your  mother  was  alive,  he  felt  no  interest  about  yon  ;  bnt  her 
death,  and  the  subsequent  wealth  which  poured  upon  him, 
have  now  induced  him  to  find  out  an  heir,  to  whom  it  nuv 
be  l>eqneathed. 


TAPHET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  363 

"  Such,  Japhet,  are  the  outlines  of  your  father's  history  , 
and  I  must  point  out  that  he  has  no  feelings  of  affection  for 
you  at  present.  The  conduct  of  your  mother  is  ever  before 
him,  and  if  it  were  not  that  he  wishes  an  heir,  I  should  almost 
say  that  his  feelings  are  those  of  dislike.  You  may  create  an 
interest  in  his  heart,  it  is  true  ;  and  he  may  be  gratified  by 
your  personal  appearance  ;  but  you  will  have  a  very  difficult 
task,  as  you  will  have  to  submit  to  his  caprices  and  fancies, 
and  I  am  afraid  that,  to  a  high  spirit  like  yours,  they  will  be 
almost  unbearable." 

"  Really,  sir,  I  begin  to  feel  that  the  fondest  anticipations 
are  seldom  realised,  and  almost  to  wish  that  I  had  not  been 
sought  for  by  my  father.  I  was  happy  and  contented,  and 
now  I  do  not  see  any  chance  of  having  to  congratulate  myself 
on  the  change." 

"  On  one  or  two  points  I  also  wish  to  question  you.  It 
appears  that  you  have  entered  into  the  sect  denominated 
Quakers.  Tell  me  candidly,  do  you  subscribe  heartily  and 
sincerely  to  their  doctrines?  And  I  was  going  to  add,  is  it 
your  intention  to  remain  with  them  ?  I  perceive  much  diffi- 
culty in  all  this." 

"  The  tenets  of  the  sect  I  certainly  do  believe  to  be  more 
in  accordance  with  the  Christian  religion  than  any  other  ;  and 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  asserting,  from  my  knowledge  of  those 
who  belong  to  that  sect,  that  they,  generally  speaking,  lead 
better  lives.  There  are  some  points  connected  with  their 
worship,  which,  at  first,  I  considered  ridiculous  :  the  feeling 
has,  however,  worn  off.  As  to  their  quaint  manner  of  speak- 
ing, that  has  been  grossly  exaggerated.  Their  dress  is  a  part 
of  their  religion." 

"Why  so,  Japbet  ?w 

"  I  can  reply  to  you  in  the  words  of  Susannah  Temple,  when 
I  made  the  same  interrogatory.  'You  think  the  peculiarity 
of  our  dress  is  an  outward  form  which  is  not  required.  It  was 
ont  on  to  separate  us  from  others,  and  as  a  proof  of  our 
lincerity  ;  but  still,  the  discarding  of  the  dress  is  a  proof  of 


364  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

sincerity.  We  consider,  that  to  admire  the  person  is  yain,  and 
our  creed  is  humility.  It  is  therefore  an  outward  and  visible 
sign,  that  we  would  act  up  to  those  tenets  which  we  profess. 
It  is  not  all  who  wear  the  dress  who  are  Quakers  in  heart  or 
conduct  ;  but  we  know  that  when  it  is  put  aside,  the  tenets 
of  our  persuasion  are  at  the  same  time  renounced,  therefore  do 
we  consider  it  essential.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  but  that  the 
heart  may  be  as  pure,  and  the  faith  continue  as  steadfast, 
without  such  signs  outwardly,  but  it  is  a  part  of  our  creed,  and 
we  must  not  choose,  but  either  reject  all  or  none.'" 

"  Very  well  argued  by  the  little  Quakeress  ;  and  now, 
Japhet,  I  should  like  to  put  another  question  to  you.  Are 
you  very  much  attached  to  this  young  puritan  ?" 

"  I  will  not  deny  but  that  I  am.     I  love  her  sincerely." 

"  Does  your  love  carry  you  so  far,  that  you  would,  for  her 
sake,  continue  a  Quaker,  and  marry  her  ?" 

"  I  have  asked  myself  that  question  at  least  a  hundred  timea 
during  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  and  I  cannot  decide.  If 
she  would  dress  as  others  do,  and  allow  me  to  do  the  same, 
I  would  marry  her  to-morrow  ;  whether  I  shall  ever  make  up 
ray  mind  to  adhere  to  the  persuasion,  and  live  and  die  a 
Quaker  for  her  sake,  is  quite  another  matter — but  I  am  afraid 
not — I  am  too  worldly-minded.  The  fact  is,  I  am  in  a  very 
awkward  position  with  respect  to  her.  I  have  never  acknow- 
ledged my  affection,  or  asked  for  a  return,  but  she  knows  I 
love  her,  and  I  know  that  she  loves  me." 

"  Like  all  vain  boys,  you  flatter  yourself." 

"  I  leave  you  to  judge,  sir,"  replied  I,  repeating  to  him  our 
parting-^e-a-/e/g,  and  how  I  had  returned,  and  found  her  in 
tears. 

"  All  that  certainly  is  very  corroborative  evidence  ;  but  tell 
me,  Japhet,  do  you  think  she  loves  yon  well-enough  to  abandon 
all  for  your  sake  ?'•' 

"  No,  nor  ever  will,  sir,  she  is  too  high-principled,  too  high- 
minded.  She  might  suffer  greatly,  but  she  never  would  swerve 
from  what  she  thought  was  right." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  365 

"  She  must  be  a  fine  character,  Japhet,  but  you  will  be  in  a 
dilemma  :  indeed,  it  appears  to  me,  that  your  troubles  are  now 
commencing  instead  of  ending,  and  that  you  would  have  been 
much  happier  where  yon  were,  than  you  will  be  by  being  again 
brought  out  into  the  world.  Your  prospect  is  not  over-cheer- 
ful. You  have  an  awkward  father  to  deal  with  ;  you  will  be 
under  a  strong  check,  I've  a  notion,  and  I  am  afraid  you  will 
find  that,  notwithstanding  you  will  be  once  more  received  into 
society,  all  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  right,  sir,"  replied  I,  "  but  at  all 
events,  it  will  be  something  gained,  to  be  acknowledged  to  the 
world  by  a  father  of  good  family,  whatever  else  I  may  have  to 
submit  to.  I  have  been  the  sport  of  Fortune  all  my  life,  and 
probably  she  has  not  yet  done  playing  with  me  ;  but  it  is  late, 
and  I  will  now  wish  you  good-night." 

"  Good  night,  Japhet ;  if  I  have  any  intelligence  I  will  let 
you  know.  Lady  de  Clare's  address  is  No.  13,  Park  Street. 
You  will,  of  course,  go  there  as  soon  as  you  can." 

"  I  will,  sir,  after  I  have  written  my  letters  to  my  friends  at 
Reading." 


CHAPTER  LXXII. 

1  AM  A  LITTLE  JEALOUS,  AND,  LIKE   THE    IMMORTAL  WILLIAM  BOTTOM, 

INCLINED  TO  ENACT  MORE  PARTS  THAN  ONE WITH  A  BIG    EFFORT 

MY    HANKERING    AFTER    BIGAMY    IS     MASTERED    BT    MR.    MASTER- 
TON AND   BY   MY   OWN   GOOD    SENSE. 

I  RETURNED  home  to  reflect  upon  what  Mr.  Masterton  had  told 
me,  and  I  must  say  that  I  was  not  very  well  pleased  with  his 
various  information.  His  account  of  my  mother,  although  she 
was  no  more,  distressed  me,  and,  from  the  character  which  he 
gave  of  my  father,  I  felt  convinced  that  my  happiness  would 
not  be  at  all  increased  by  my  having  finally  attained  the  long- 


366  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

desired  object  of  my  wishes.  Strange  to  say,  I  had  no  sooner 
discovered  my  father,  but  I  wished  that  he  had  never  turned 
up  ;  and  when  I  compared  the  peaceful  and  happy  state  of 
existence  which  I  had  lately  enjoyed,  with  the  prospects  of 
what  I  bad  in  future  to  submit  to,  I  bitterly  repented  that  the 
advertisement  had  been  seen  by  Timothy  ;  still,  on  one  point, 
I  was  peculiarly  anxious,  without  hardly  daring  to  anatomise 
my  feelings  ;  it  was  relative  to  Cecilia  de  Clare,  and  what  Mr. 
Masterton  had  mentioned  in  the  course  of  our  conversation. 
The  next  morning  I  wrote  to  Timothy  and  to  Mr.  Cophagus, 
giving  them  a  short  detail  of  what  I  had  been  informed  by  Mr. 
Masterton,  and  expressing  a  wish,  which  I  then  really  did  feel, 
that  I  had  never  been  summoned  away  from  them. 

Having  finished  my  letters,  I  set  off  to  Park  Street,  to  call 
upon  Lady  de  Clare  and  Cecilia.  It  was  rather  early,  but  the 
footman  who  opened  the  door  recognised  me,  and  I  was  ad- 
mitted upon  his  own  responsibility.  It  was  now  more  than 
eighteen  months  since  I  had  quitted  their  house  at  Richmond, 
and  I  was  very  anxious  to  know  what  reception  I  might  have. 
I  followed  the  servant  up  stairs,  and  when  he  opened  the  door 
walked  in,  as  my  name  was  announced. 

Lady  de  Clare  rose  in  haste  ;  so  did  Cecilia,  and  so  did  a 
third  person,  whom  I  had  not  expected  to  have  met — Har- 
court.  "  Mr.  Newland,"  exclaimed  Lady  de  Clare,  "  this  is 
indeed  unexpected."  Cecilia  also  came  forward,  blushing  to 
the  forehead.  Harcourt  held  back,  as  if  waiting  for  the  ad- 
vances to  be  made  on  my  side.  On  the  whole,  I  never  felt 
more  awkwardly,  and  I  believe  my  feelings  were  reciprocated 
by  the.  whole  party.  I  was  evidently  de  trap. 

"  Do  you  know  Mr.  Harcourt  ?"  at  last  said  Lady  de 
Clare. 

"  If  it  is  the  Mr.  Harcourt  I  once  knew,"  replied  I,  "  I 
certainly  do." 

"  Believe  me  it  is  the  same,  Newland,"  said  Harcourt,  coming 
to  me  and  offering  his  hand,  which  I  took  with  pleasure. 

"  It  is  a  long  while  since  we  met,"  observed  Cecilia,  who  felt 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          361 

it  necessary  to  say  something,  but,  at  the  same  time,  did  not 
like  to  »nter  upon  my  affairs  before  Harcourt. 

"  It  is,  Miss  de  Clare,"  replied  I,  for  I  was  not  exactly 
pleased  at  my  reception  ;  "  but  I  have  been  fortunate  since  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  yon  last." 

Cecilia  and  her  mother  looked  earnestly,  as  much  as  to  say, 
in  what  ? — but  did  not  like  to  ask  the  question. 

"  There  is  no  one  present  who  is  not  well  acquainted  with  my 
history,"  observed  I,  "that  is,  until  the  tune  that  I  left  you  and 
Lady  de  Clare,  and  I  have  no  wish  to  create  mystery.  I  have 
at  last  discovered  my  father." 

"  I  hope  we  are  to  congratulate  you,  Mr.  Newland,"  said 
Lady  de  Clare. 

"  As  far  as  respectability  and  family  are  concerned,  I  cer- 
tainly have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed,"  replied  I.  "  He  is  the 
brother  of  an  earl,  and  a  general  in  the  army.  His  name  I  will 
not  mention  until  I  have  seen  him,  and  I  am  formally  and 
openly  acknowledged.  I  have  also  the  advantage  of  being  an 
only  s«n,  and  if  I  am  not  disinherited,  heir  to  considerable  pro- 
perty," continued  I,  smiling  sarcastically.  "  Perhaps  I  may 
now  be  better  received  than  I  have  been  as  Japhet  Newland  the 
Foundling  :  but,  Lady  de  Clare,  I  am  afraid  that  I  have  in- 
truded unseasonably,  and  will  now  take  my  leave.  Good  morn- 
ing ;"  and  without  waiting  for  a  reply,  I  made  a  hasty  retreat, 
and  gained  the  door. 

"  Flushed  with  indignation,  I  had  nearly  gained  the  bottom 
of  the  stairs,  when  I  heard  a  light  footstep  behind  me,  and  my 
arm  was  caught  by  Cecilia  de  Clare.  I  turned  round,  and  she 
looked  me  reproachfully  in  the  face,  as  the  tear  stood  in  her 
eye.  "  What  have  we  done  Japhet,  that  you  should  treat  us 
in  this  manner  ?"  said  she  with  emotion. 

"  Miss  de  Clare,"  replied  I,  "  I  have  no  reproaches  to  make. 
I  perceived  that  my  presence  was  not  welcome,  and  I  would  no 
further  intrude." 

''  Are  you  then  so  proud,  now  that  you  have  found  out  that 
you  are  well  born,  Japhet  ?" 


368  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  I  am  much  too  proud  to  iutrude  where  I  am  not  wished 
for,  Miss  de  Clare.  As  Japhet  Newland,  I  came  here  to  see 
the  Fleta  of  former  days.  When  I  assume  my  real  name,  I 
shall  always  he  most  happy  of  an  introduction  to  the  daughter 
of  Lady  de  Clare." 

"  Oh  !  how  changed,"  exclaimed  she,  fixing  her  large  blue 
eyes  on  me. 

"  Prosperity  changes  us  all,  Miss  de  Clare.  I  wish  you  n 
very  good  morning  ;"  and  I  turned  away,  and  crossed  the  hall 
to  the  door. 

As  I  went  out  I  could  not  help  looking  back,  and  I  perceived 
that  Cecilia's  handkerchief  was  held  to  her  eyes,  as  she  slowly 
mounted  the  stairs.  I  walked  home  to  the  Piazza  in  no  very 
pleasant  humour.  I  was  angry  and  disgusted  at  the  coolness 
of  my  reception.  I  thought  myself  ill  used,  and  treated  with 
ingratitude.  "  So  much  for  the  world,"  said  I,  as  I  sat  down  in 
my  apartment,  and  spun  my  hat  on  the  table.  "  She  has  been 
out  two  seasons,  and  is  no  longer  the  same  person.  Yet  how 
lovely  she  has  grown  1  But  why  this  change — and  why  was 
Harcourt  there  ?  Could  he  have  prejudiced  them  against  me  ? 
Very  possibly."  While  these  ideas  were  running  in  my  mind, 
and  I  was  making  comparisons  between  Cecilia  de  Clare  and 
Susannah  Temple — not  much  in  favour  of  the  former — and  look- 
ing forward  prospectively  to  the  meeting  with  my  father,  the 
doubts  as  to  my  reception  in  society  colouring  every  thing  with 
the  most  sombre  tints,  the  door  opened,  and  in  walked  Har- 
court, announced  by  the  waiter. 

"  A  chair  for  Mr.  Harcourt,"  said  I  to  the  waiter,  with  for- 
mality. 

"Newland,"  said  Harcourt,  "I  come  for  two  reasons:  in 
the  first  place  I  am  commissioned  by  the  ladies  to  assure 
you " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  Mr.  Harcourt,  for  interrupting  you,  but 
I  require  no  ambassador  from  the  ladies  in  question.  They 
may  make  you  their  confidant  if  they  please,  but  I  am  not  at 
all  inclined  to  do  the  same.  Explanation,  after  what  I  wit 


JAPHET,    IN    SEABCH    OF    A    FATHER.  369 

aessed  and  felt  this  morning,  is  quite  unnecessary.  I  sun-en 
der  all  claims  upon  either  Lady  de  Clare  or  her  daughter,  if  1 
ever  was  so  fool-hardy  as  to  imagine  that  I  had  any.  The  first 
reason  of  your  visit  it  is  therefore  useless  to  proceed  with.  May 
I  ask  the  other  reason  which  has  procured  me  this  honour  ?" 

"  I  hardly  know,  Mr.  Newland,"  replied  Harcourt,  colouring 
deeply,  "  whether  after  what  you  have  now  said  I  ought  to  pro- 
ceed with  the  second — it  related  to  myself." 

"  I  am  all  attention,  Mr.  Harcourt,"  replied  I,  bowing 
politely. 

"  It  was  to  say,  Mr.  Newland,  that  I  should  have  taken  the 
earliest  opportunity  after  my  recovery,  had  you  not  disappeared 
so  strangely,  to  have  expressed  my  sorrow  for  my  conduct 
towards  you,  and  to  have  acknowledged  that  I  had  been 
deservedly  punished  :  more  perhaps  by  my  own  feelings  of 
remorse,  than  by  the  dangerous  wound  I  had  received  by  your 
hand.  I  take  even  this  opportunity,  although  not  apparently 
a  favorable  one,  of  expressing  what  I  consider  it  my  duty,  as  a 
gentleman  who  has  wronged  another,  to  express.  I  certainly 
was  going  to  add  more,  but  there  is  so  little  chance  of  its  being 
well  received,  that  I  had  better  defer  it  to  some  future  oppor- 
tunity. The  time  may  come,  and  I  certainly  trust  it  will  come, 
when  I  may  be  allowed  to  prove  to  you  that  I  am  not  deserv- 
ing of  the  coolness  with  which  I  am  now  received.  Mr.  New- 
land,  with  every  wish  for  your  happiness,  I  will  now  take  my 
leave  ;  but  I  must  say,  it  is  with  painful  sentiments,  as  I  feel 
that  the  result  of  this  interview  will  be  the  cause  of  great  dis- 
tress to  those  who  are  bound  to  you  not  only  by  gratitude,  but 
sincere  regard." 

Harcourt  then  bowed,  and  quitted  the  room. 

"  It's  all  very  well,"  muttered  I,  "  but  I  know  the  world,  and 
am  not  to  be  soothed  down  by  a  few  fine  words.  I  trust  that 
they  will  be  sorry  for  their  conduct,  but  see  me  again  inside 
their  doors  they  will  not,"  and  I  sat  down,  trying  to  feel  satis- 
fied with  myself — bu*  I  was  not ;  I  felt  that  I  had  acted 
harshly,  to  say  no  more.  I  ought  to  have  listened  to  an 


370  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

explanation  sent  by  Cecilia  and  her  mother,  after  her  coming 
down  stairs  to  expostulate.  They  were  under  great  obligations 
to  me,  and  by  my  quick  resentment,  I  rendered  the  obligation? 
more  onerous.  It  was  unkind  of  me,  and  I  wished  that  Bar- 
court  had  not  left  the  room.  As  for  his  conduct,  I  tried  to 
find  fault  with  it,  but  could  not.  It  was  gentlemanly  and  feel- 
ing. The  fact  was,  I  was  in  a  very  bad  humour,  and  could  not 
at  the  tune  discover  the  reason,  which  was  neither  more  nor 
less  than  that  I  was  more  jealous  of  finding  Harcourt  so  inti« 
mate  at  Lady  de  Clare's,  than  I  was  at  the  unpalatable  recep- 
tion which  I  had  met  with.  The  waiter  came  in,  and  brought 
me  a  note  from  Mr.  Masterton. 

"  I  have  this  morning  received  a  summons  from  your  father, 
who  returned,  it  appears,  two  days  ago,  and  is  now  at  the 
Adelphi  Hotel.  I  am  sorry  to  say,  that  stepping  out  of  his 
carriage  when  travelling,  he  missed  his  footing,  and  snapped 
his  tendon  Achilles.  He  is  laid  up  on  a  couch,  and,  as  you 
may  suppose,  his  amiability  is  not  increased  by  the  accident, 
and  the  pain  attending  it.  As  he  has  requested  me  to  bring 
forward  immediate  evidence  as  to  your  identity,  and  the  pres- 
ence of  Mr.  Cophagus  is  necessary,  I  propose  that  we  start  for 
Reading  to-morrow  at  nine  o'clock.  I  have  a  curiosity  to  go 
down  there,  and  having  a  leisure  day  or  two,  it  will  be  a  relax- 
ation. I  wish  to  see  my  old  acquaintance  Timothy,  and  your 
shop.  Answer  by  bearer. 

"  J.  MASTERTON." 

I  wrote  a  few  lines,  informing  Mr.  Masterton  that  I  would 
be  with  hun  at  the  appointed  hour,  and  then  sat  down  to  my 
solitary  meal.  How  different  from  when  I  was  last  at  this 
hotel  1  Now  I  knew  nobody.  I  had  to  regain  my  footing  in 
society,  and  that  could  only  be  accomplished  by  being  acknow- 
ledged by  my  father  ;  and,  as  soon  as  that  was  done,  I  would 
call  upon  Lord  Windermear,  who  would  quickly  effect  what  I 
desired.  The  next  morning  I  was  ready  at  nine  o'clock,  and 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          871 

sat  off  with  post  horses,  with  Mr.  Masterton,  in  his  own  car- 
riage. I  told  him  what  had  occurred  the  day  before,  and  how 
disgusted  I  was  at  my  reception. 

"  Upon  my  word,  Japhet,  I  think  you  are  wrong,"  replied  the 
old  gentleman  ;  "  and  if  you  had  not  told  me  of  your  affection 
for  Miss  Temple,  to  see  whom,  by-the-by,  I  confess  to  be  one  of 
the  chief  motives  of  my  going  down  with  you,  I  should  almost 
jjappose  that  you  were  blinded  by  jealousy.  Does  it  not  occur 
to  you,  that  if  Mr.  Harcourt  was  admitted  to  the  ladies  at  such 
an  early  hour,  there  was  preference  shown  him  in  that  quarter  ? 
And  now  I  recollect  that  I  heard  something  about  it.  Har- 
eourt's  elder  brother  died,  and  he's  come  into  the  property,  and 
I  heard  somebody  say  that  he  would  in  all  probability  succeed 
in  gaining  the  handsomest  girl  in  London  with  a  large  fortune 
— that  it  was  said  to  be  a  match.  Now,  if  such  be  the  case, 
and  you  broke  in  upon  a  quiet  re-union  between  two  young 
people  about  to  be  united,  almost  without  announcement,  and 
so  unexpectedly,  after  a  lapse  of  so  long  a  time,  surely  you 
cannot  be  surprised  at  there  being  a  degree  of  confusion  and 
restraint — more  especially  after  what  had  passed  between  Har- 
court and  you.  Depend  upon  it,  that  was  the  cause  of  it. 
Had  Lady  de  Clare  and  her  daughter  been  alone,  your  recep- 
tion would  have  been  very  different ;  indeed,  Cecilia's  following 
you  down  stairs  proves  that  it  was  not  from  coolness  towards 
you  ;  and  Harcourt  calling  upon  you,  and  the  conversation 
which  took  place,  is  another  proof  that  you  have  been  mis- 
taken." 

"  I  never  viewed  it  in  that  light,  certainly,  sir,"  observed  I. 
"  I  merely  perceived  that  I  was  considered  intrusive,  and  find- 
ing in  the  company  one  who  had  treated  me  ill,  and  had  been 
my  antagonist  in  the  field,  I  naturally  supposed  that  he  had 
prejudiced  them  against  me.  I  hope  I  may  be  wrong  ;  but  I 
have  seen  so  much  of  the  world,  young  as  I  am,  that  I  have 
become  very  suspicious." 

"  Then  discard  suspicion  as  fast  as  you  can  ;  it  will  only 
make  you  unhappy,  and  not  prevent  your  being  deceived.  If 


372  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

you  are  suspicious,  you  will  have  the  constant  fear  of  deception 
hanging  over  you,  which  poisons  existence." 

After  these  remarks  I  remained  silent  for  some  time  ;  I  was 
analysing  my  own  feelings,  and  I  felt  that  I  had  acted  in  a  very 
absurd  manner.  The  fact  was,  that  one  of  my  castle  buildings 
had  been,  that  I  was  to  marry  Fleta  as  soon  as  I  had  found  my 
own  father,  and  this  it  was  which  had  actuated  me,  almost 
without  my  knowing  it.  I  felt  jealous  of  Harcourt,  and  that, 
without  being  in  love  with  Miss  de  Clare,  but  actually  passion- 
ately fond  of  another  person  ;  I  felt  as  if  1  could  have  married 
her,  without  loving  her,  and  that  I  could  give  up  Susannah 
Temple,  whom  I  did  love,  rather  than  that  a  being  whom  I 
considered  as  almost  of  my  own  creation  should  herself  pre- 
sume to  fall  in  love,  or  that  another  should  dare  to  love  her, 
until  I  had  made  up  my  mind  whether  I  should  take  her 
myself;  and  this  after  so  long  an  absence,  and  their  having 
given  up  all  hopes  of  ever  seeing  me  again.  The  reader  may 
smile  at  the  absurdity,  still  more  at  the  selfishness  of  this  feel- 
ing ;  so  did  I,  when  I  had  reflected  upon  it,  and  I  despised 
myself  for  my  vanity  and  folly. 

"  What  are  you  thinking  of,  Japhet  ?"  observed  Mr.  Master- 
ton,  tired  with  my  long  abstraction. 

"  That  I  have  been  making  a  most  egregious  fool  of  myself, 
sir,"  replied  I,  "  with  respect  to  the  De  Clares." 

"  I  did  not  say  so,  Japhet ;  but  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I 
thought  something  very  like  it.  Now  tell  me,  were  you  not 
jealous  at  finding  her  in  the  company  with  Harcourt  ?" 

"  Exactly  so,  sir." 

"I'll  tell  Susannah  Temple  when  I  see  her,  that  she  may 
form  some  idea  of  your  constancy,"  replied  Mr.  Mastertou 
smiling  '•  Why  what  a  dog  in  the  manger  you  must  be — you 
can't  marry  them  both.  Still,  under  the  circumstances,  I  can 
analyse  the  feeling — it  is  natural,  but  all  that  is  natural  is  not 
always  creditable  to  human  natnre.  Let  us  talk  a  little  about 
Susannah,  and  all  these  vagaries  will  be  dispersed.  How  old 
is  she  ?" 


JAPHET,    IN   SEARCH   OF  A   FATHER.  373 

Mr.  Masterton  plied  me  with  so  many  questions  relative  to 
Susannah,  that  her  image  alone  soon  filled  my  mind,  and  J 
recovered  my  spirits.  "  I  don't  know  what  she  will  say,  at  my 
being  in  this  dress,  sir,"  observed  I.  "  Had  I  not  better  change 
it  on  my  arrival  ?" 

"  By  no  means  ;  I'll  fight  your  battle — I  know  her  character 
pretty  well,  thanks  to  your  raving  about  her." 


CHAPTER   LXXIII. 

CONTAINS   MUCH    LEARNED  ARGUMENT   UPON   BROAD-BRIMS  AND    GAR- 
MENTS  OF  GREY 1    GET   THE    BEST   OF  IT THE  ONE  GREAT  WISH 

OF    MY   LIFE     IS    GRANTED 1     MEET    MY     FATHER,     AND    A    COLD 

RECEPTION,    VERY    INDICATIVE    OF    MUCH    AFTER-HEAT. 

WE  arrived  in  good  tune  at  Reading,  and,  as  soon  as  we 
alighted  at  the  inn,  we  ordered  dinner,  and  then  walked  down 
to  the  shop,  where  we  found  Timothy  very  busy  tying  down 
and  labelling.  He  was  delighted  to  see  Mr.  Masterton  ;  and 
perceiving  that  I  had  laid  aside  the  Quaker's  dress,  made  no 
scruple  of  indulging  in  his  humour,  making  a  long  face,  and 
Mee-ing  and  tkou-ing  Mr.  Masterton  in  a  very  absurd  manner. 
We  desired  him  to  go  to  Mr.  Cophagus,  and  beg  that  he  would 
allow  me  to  bring  Mr.  Masterton  to  drink  tea,  and  afterwards 
to  call  at  the  inn  and  give  us  the  answer.  We  then  returned 
to  our  dinner. 

"  Whether  they  will  ever  make  a  Quaker  of  you  Japhet, 
I  am  very  doubtful,"  observed  Mr.  Masterton,  as  we  walked 
back  ;  "  but  as  for  making  one  of  that  fellow  Timothy,  I'll  defy 
them." 

"  He  laughs  at  every  thing,"  replied  I,  "and  views  every 
thing  in  a  ridiculous  light — at  all  events,  they  never  will  make 
him  serious." 

In  the  evening,  we  adjourned  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Cophagus, 


874  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

having  received  a  message  of  welcome.  I  entered  the  room 
first.  Susannah  came  forward  to  welcome  me,  and  then  drew 
back,  when  she  perceived  the  alteration  in  my  apparel,  colouring 
deeply.  I  passed  her,  and  took  the  hand  of  Mrs.  Cophagus  and 
her  husband,  and  then  introduced  Mr.  Masterton. 

"  We  hardly  knew  thee,  Japhet,"  mildly  observed  Mrs.  Co- 
phagus. 

"  I  did  not  think  that  outward  garments  would  disguise  me 
from  my  friends,"  replied  I ;  "  but  so  it  appeareth,  for  your  sis- 
ter hath  not  even  greeted  me  hi  welcome." 

"  I  greet  thee  in  all  kindness,  and  all  sincerity,  Japhet  New- 
land,"  replied  Susannah,  holding  out  her  hand.  "  Yet  did  I  not 
imagine  that,  in  so  short  a  time,  thou  wouldst  have  dismissed 
the  apparel  of  our  persuasion,  neither  do  I  find  it  seemly." 

"  Miss  Temple,"  interposed  Mr.  Masterton,  "  it  is  to  oblige 
those  who  are  his  sincere  friends,  that  Mr.  Newland  has  laid 
aside  his  dress.  I  quarrel  with  no  creed — every  one  has  a  right 
to  choose  for  himself,  and  Mr.  Newlaud  has  perhaps  not  chosen 
badly,  in  embracing  your  tenets.  Let  him  continue  steadfast  in 
them.  But,  fair  young  lady,  there  is  no  creed  which  is  perfect, 
and,  even  in  yours,  we  find  imperfection.  Our  religion  preaches 
humility,  and  therefore  we  do  object  to  his  wearing  the  garb  of 
pride." 

"  Of  pride,  saycst  thou  ?  hath  he  not  rather  put  off  the  garb 
of  humility,  and  now  appeareth  in  the  garb  of  pride." 

"  Not  so,  young  madam  :  when  we  dress  as  all  the  world 
dress,  we  wear  not  the  garb  of  pride  ;  but  when  we  put  on  a 
dress  different  from  others,  that  distinguishes  us  from  others, 
then  we  show  our  pride,  and  the  worst  of  pride,  for  it  is  the 
hypocritical  pride  which  apes  humility.  It  is  the  Pharisee  of 
the  Scriptures,  who  preaches  in  high  places,  and  sounds  forth 
his  charity  to  the  poor  ;  not  the  humility  of  the  Publican,  who 
eays,  '  Lord,  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner.'  Your  apparel  of 
pretended  humility  is  the  garb  of  pride,  and  for  that  reason 
have  ws  insisted  that  he  discards  it,  when  with  us.  His  tenets 
we  interfere  not  witji.  There  can  be  no  religion  in  dress  ;  and 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          375 

that  must  indeed  be  weak  in  itself,  which  requires  dress  for  it* 
support." 

Susannah  was  astonished  at  this  new  feature  of  the  case,  so 
aptly  put  by  the  old  lawyer.  Mrs.  Cophagus  looked  at  hei 
husband,  and  Cophagus  pinched  my  arm,  evidently  agreeing 
with  him  When  Mr.  Masterton  had  finished  speaking,  Susan- 
nah waited  a  few  seconds,  and  then  replied,  "  It  becomes  not 
one  so  young  and  weak  as  I  am,  to  argue  with  thee,  who  art  so 
much  my  senior.  I  cannot  cavil  at  opinions  which,  if  not  cor- 
rect, at  least  are  founded  on  the  holy  writings  ;  but  I  have 
been  otherwise  instructed." 

"  Then  let  us  drop  the  argument,  Miss  Susannah,  and  let  m  e 
tell  you,  that  Japhet  wished  to  resume  his  Quaker's  dress,  and 
I  would  not  permit  him.  If  there  is  any  blame,  it  is  to  be  laid 
to  me  ;  and  it's  no  use  being  angry  with  an  old  man  like  my- 
self." 

"  I  have  no  right  to  be  angry  with  any  one,"  replied  Susan- 
nah. 

"  But  yon  were  angry  with  me,  Susannah,"  interrupted  I. 

"  I  cannot  say  that  it  was  anger,  Jtiphet  Newland  :  I  hardly 
know  what  the  feeling  might  have  been  ;  but  I  was  wrong,  and 
I  must  request  thy  forgiveness,"  and  Susannah  held  out  her 
band. 

"  Now  you  must  forgive  me  too,  Miss  Temple,"  said  old  Mas- 
terton, and  Susannah  laughed  against  her  wishes. 

The  conversation  then  became  general.  Mr.  Masterton  ex- 
plained to  Mr.  Cophagus  what  he  required  of  him,  and  Mr.  Co- 
phagus immediately  acceded.  It  was  arranged  that  he  should 
go  to  town  by  the  mail  the  next  day.  Mr.  Masterton  talked  a 
great  deal  about  my  father,  and  gave  his  character  in  its  true 
light,  as  he  considered  it  would  be  advantageous  to  me  so  to 
do.  He  then  entered  into  conversation  upon  a  variety  of  topics, 
and  was  certainly  very  amusing.  Susannah  laughed  very  hear- 
tily before  the  evening  was  over,  and  Mr.  Masterton  retired  to 
the  hotel,  for  I  had  resolved  to  sleep  in  my  own  bed. 

I  walked  home  with  Mr.  Masterton  :  I  then  returned  to  the 


376  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHEK. 

house,  and  found  them  all  in  the  parlour.  Mrs.  Cophagus  wai 
expressing  her  delight  at  the  amusement  she  had  received, 
when  I  entered  with  a  grave  face.  "I  wish  that  I  had  not  left 
you,"  said  I  to  Mrs.  Cophagus  ;  "I  am  afraid  to  meet  my 
father ;  he  will  exact  the  most  implicit  obedience.  What  am  I 
to  do  ?  Must  not  I  obey  him  ?" 

"  In  all  things  lawful,"  replied  Susannah,  "  most  certainly, 
Japhet." 

"In  all  things  lawful,  Susannah  !  now  tell  me,  in  the  very 
case  of  my  apparel  :  Mr.  Masterton  says,  that  he  never  will 
permit  me  to  wear  the  dress.  What  am  I  to  do  ?" 

"  Thou  hast  thy  religion  and  thy  Bible  for  thy  guide, 
Japhet." 

"  I  have  ;  and  in  the  Bible  I  find  written  on  tablets  of  stone 
by  the  prophet  of  God  :  '  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother  ;' 
there  is  a  positive  commandment ;  but  I  find  no  commandment 
to  wear  this  or  that  dress.  What  think  you  ?"  continued  I, 
appealing  to  them  all. 

"  I  should  bid  thee  honour  thy  father,  Japhet,'"  replied  Mrs. 
Cophagus,  "  and  you,  Susannah " 

"  I  shall  bid  thee  good  night,  Japhet." 

At  this  reply  we  all  laughed,  and  I  perceived  there  was  a 
smile  on  Susannah's  face  as  she  walked  away.  Mrs.  Cophagus 
followed  her,  laughing  as  she  went,  and  Cophagus  and  I  were 
alone. 

"  Well,  Japhet — see  old  gentleman — kiss — shake  hands — 
and  blessing — and  so  on." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  I ;  "  but  if  he  treats  me  ill,  I  shall  pro- 
bably come  down  here  again.  I  am  afraid  that  Susannah  is 
not  very  well  pleased  with  me." 

"  Pooh,  nonsense — wife  knows  all — die  for  you — Japhet,  do 
as  you  please — dress  yourself — dress  her — any  dress — no  dress 
like  Eve — sly  puss — won't  lose  you — all  right — and  so  on." 

I  pressed  Mr.  Cophagus  to  tell  me  all  he  knew,  and  I  found 
from  him  that  his  wife  had  questioned  Susannah  soon  after  my 
departure,  had  found  her  weeping,  and  that  she  had  gained 


JAPHET  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  377 

from  her  the  avowal  of  her  ardent  affection  for  im  This  was 
all  I  wanted,  and  I  wished  him  good  night,  and  went  to  bed 
happy.  I  had  an  interview  with  Susannah  Temple  before  I  left 
the  next  morning,  and,  although  I  never  mentioned  love,  had 
every  reason  to  be  satisfied.  She  was  kind  and  affectionate  ; 
spoke  to  me  in  her  usual  serious  manner,  warned  me  against 
the  world,  acknowledged  that  I  should  have  great  difficulties  to 
surmount,  and  even  made  much  allowance  for  my  peculiar  situa- 
tion. She  dared  not  advise,  but  she  would  pray  for  me.  There 
was  a  greater  show  of  interest  and  confidence  towards  me  than 
I  had  ever  yet  received  from  her :  when  I  parted  from  her,  I 
said,  "  Dear  Susannah,  whatever  change  may  take  place  in  my 
fortunes  or  in  my  dress,  believe  me,  my  heart  shall  not  be 
changed,  and  I  shall  ever  adhere  to  those  principles  which  have 
been  instilled  into  me  since  I  have  been  in  your  company." 

This  was  a  phrase  which  admitted  of  a  double  meaning,  and 
she  replied,  "  I  should  wish  to  see  thee  perfect,  Japhet  ;  but 
there  is  no  perfection  now  on  earth  ;  be  therefore  as  perfect  as 
you  can." 

"  God  bless  you,  Susannah." 

"  May  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  be  on  you  always,  Japhet, " 
replied  she. 

I  put  my  arm  round  her  waist,  and  slightly  pressed  her  tc 
my  bosom.  She  gently  disengaged  herself,  and  her  large  eyes 
glistened  with  tears  as  she  left  the  room.  In  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  I  was  with  Mr.  Masterton  on  the  road  to  London. 

"  Japhet,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "  I  will  say  that  you  have 
been  very  wise  in  your  choice,  and  that  your  little  Quaker  is  a 
most  lovely  creature:  I  am  in  love  with  her  myself,  and  I  think 
that  she  is  far  superior  in  personal  attractions  to  Cecilia  de 
Clare." 

"  Indeed,  sir  ?" 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  her  face  is  more  classical,  and  her  complexion 
is  unrivalled  ;  as  far  as  my  present  knowledge  and  experience 
go,  she  is  an  emblem  of  purity." 

"  Her  mind,  sir,  is  as  pure  as  her  person." 


iH8  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH   OP   A   FATHER. 

"  1  believe  it ;  she  has  a  strong  mind,  and  will  think  for  her- 
self." 

"  There,  sir,  is,  I  am  afraid,  the  difficulty  ;  she  will  not  yield 
a  point  in  which  she  thinks  she  is  right,  not  even  for  her  love  for 
me." 

"  I  agree  with  you  that  she  will  not,  and  I  admire  her  for  it 
but,  Japhet,  she  will  yield  to  conviction,  and  depend  upon  it, 
she  will  abandon  the  outward  observances  of  her  persuasion. 
Did  you  observe  what  a  spoke  I  put  in  your  wheel  last  night, 
when  I  stated  that  outward  forms  were  pride.  Leave  that  to 
work,  and  I'll  answer  for  the  consequences  ;  she  will  not  long 
wear  that  Quaker's  dress.  How  beautiful  she  would  be  if  she 
dressed  like  other  people  !  I  think  I  see  her  now  entering  a 
ball-room." 

"  But  what  occasions  you  to  think  she  will  abandon  her  per- 
suasion ?" 

"  I  do  not  say  that  she  will  abandon  it,  nor  do  I  wish  her  to 
do  it,  nor  do  I  wish  you  to  do  it,  Japhet.  There  is  much 
beauty  and  much  perfection  in  the  Quaker's  creed.  All  that 
requires  to  be  abandoned  are  the  dress  and  the  ceremonies  of 
the  meetings,  which  are  both  absurdities.  Recollect,  that  Miss 
Temple  has  been  brought  up  as  a  Quaker  ;  she  has,  from  the 
exclusiveness  of  the  sect,  known  no  other  form  of  worship,  and 
never  heard  any  opposition  to  that  which  has  been  inculcated  ; 
but  let  her  once  or  twice  enter  the  Established  Church,  hear  its 
beautiful  ritual,  and  listen  to  a  sound  preacher.  Let  her  be 
persuaded  to  do  that,  which  cannot  be  asking  her  to  do  wrong, 
and  then  let  her  think  and  act  for  herself,  and  iny  word  for  it, 
when  she  draws  the  comparison  between  what  she  has  then 
heard  and  the  nonsense  occasionally  uttered  in  the  Quakers* 
conventicle,  by  those  who  fancy  themselves  inspired,  she  will 
herself  feel  that,  although  the  tenets  of  her  persuasion  may  be 
more  in  accordance  with  true  Christianity  than  those  of  other 
sects,  the  outward  forms  and  observances  are  imperfect.  I  trust 
Jo  her  own  good  sense." 

"  You  make  me  very  happy  by  saying  so." 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  3"J9 

"  Well,  that  is  my  opinion  of  her,  and  if  she  proves  me  to  be 
correct,  hang  me  if  I  don't  think  I  shall  adopt  her." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  Mrs.  Cophagus,  sir  ?" 

"  I  think  she  is  no  more  a  Quaker  in  ner  heart  than  I  am. 
She  is  a  lively,  merry,  kind-hearted  creature,  and  would  have  no 
objection  to  appear  in  feathers  and  diamonds  to-morrow." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  can  tell  you  that  Mr.  Cophagus  still  sighs  after 
his  blue  cotton-net  pantaloons  and  Hessian  boots." 

"  More  fool  he  !  but,  however,  I  am  glad  of  it,  for  it  gives 
me  an  idea  which  I  shall  work  upon  by-and-by  :  at  present  we 
have  this  eventful  meeting  between  you  and  your  father  to  oc- 
cupy us." 

We  arrived  in  town  in  time  for  dinner,  which  Mr.  Masterton 
had  ordered  at  his  chambers.  As  the  old  gentleman  was  rather 
tired  with  his  two  days'  travelling,  I  wished  him  good  night  at 
an  early  hour. 

"  Recollect,  Japhet,  we  are  to  be  at  the  Adelphi  hotel  to- 
morrow at  one  o'clock — come  in  time." 

I  called  upon  Mr.  Masterton  at  the  time  appointed  on  the 
ensuing  day,  and  we  drove  to  the  hotel  in  which  my  father  had 
located  himself.  On  our  arrival,  we  were  ushered  into  a  room 
on  the  ground  floor,  where  we  found  Mr.  Cophagus  and  two  of 
the  governors  of  the  Foundling  Hospital. 

"  Really,  Mr.  Masterton,"  said  one  of  the  latter  gentlemen, 
"  one  would  think  that  we  were  about  to  have  an  audience  with 
a  sovereign  prince,  and,  instead  of  conferring  favours,  were 
about  to  receive  them.  My  time  is  precious  :  I  ought  to  have 
been  in  the  city  this  half  hour,  and  here  is  this  old  nabob  keep- 
ing us  waiting  as  if  we  were  petitioners." 

Mr.  Masterton  laughed,  and  said,  "  Let  us  all  go  up  stairs, 
and  not  wait  to  be  sent  for." 

He  called  one  of  the  waiters,  and  desired  him  to  announce 
them  to  General  De  Benyon.  They  then  followed  the  waiter, 
'eaving  me  alone.  I  must  say,  that  I  was  a  little  agitated  ;  1 
heard  the  door  O]>en  above,  and  then  an  angry  growl  like  that 
of  a  wild  beast ;  the  door  closed  again,  and  all  was  quiet 


380  JAPDET,  IN  SLARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  And  this,"  thought  I,  "  is  the  result  of  all  my  fond  anticipfv- 
tions,  of  my  ardent  wishes,  of  my  enthusiastic  search.  Instead 
of  expressing  anxiety  to  receive  his  son,  he  litigiously  requires 
proofs,  and  more  proofs,  when  he  has  received  every  satisfactory 
proof  already.  They  say  his  temper  is  violent  beyond  control, 
and  that  submission  irritates  instead  of  appeasing  him  :  what 
then  if  I  resent  ?  I  have  heard  that  people  of  that  descriptioi 
are  to  be  better  met  with  their  own  weapons  : — suppose  I  try 
it  ; — but  no,  I  have  no  right : — I  will  however  be  firm,  and 
keep  my  temper  under  every  circumstance  :  I  will  show  him,  at 
least,  that  his  ton  has  the  spirit  and  feelings  of  a  gentle- 
man." 

As  these  thoughts  passed  in  my  mind  the  door  opened,  and 
Mr.  Masterton  requested  me  to  follow  him.  I  obeyed  with  a 
palpitating  heart ;  and  when  I  had  gained  the  landing-place 
up  stairs,  Mr.  Masterton  took  my  hand  and  led  me  into  the 
presence  of  my  long-sought-for  and  much-dreaded  parent.  I 
may  as  well  describe  him  and  the  whole  tableau.  The  room 
was  long  and  narrow,  and,  at  the  farther  end,  was  a  large  sofa, 
on  which  was  seated  my  father  with  his  injured  leg  reposing 
on  it,  his  crutches  propped  against  the  wall.  On  each  side  of 
him  were  two  large  poles  and  stands,  each  with  a  magnificent 
macaw.  Next  to  the  macaws  were  two  native  servants, 
arrayed  in  their  muslin  dresses,  with  their  arms  folded.  A 
hooka  was  in  advance  of  the  table  before  the  sofa  ;  it  was 
magnificently  wrought  in  silver,  and  the  snake  passed  under  the 
table,  so  that  the  tube  was  within  my  honoured  father's  reach. 
On  one  side  of  the  room  sat  the  two  governors  of  the  Found- 
ling Hospital,  on  the  other  was  seated  Mr.  Cophagus  in  hia 
Quaker's  dress  ;  the  empty  chair  next  to  him  had  been  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Masterton.  I  looked  at  my  father :  he  was  a  man 
of  great  size,  apparently  six  feet  three  or  four  inches,  and  stout 
in  proportion,  without  being  burdened  with  fat :  he  was  gaunt, 
broad-shouldered  and  muscular,  and  I  think  must  have  weighed 
seventeen  or  eighteen  stone.  His  head  was  in  proportion  to  his 
body,  and  very  large  ;  so  were  all  his  features  upon  the  same 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  381 

grand  scale.  His  complexion  was  of  a  brownish-yellow,  and  his 
hair  of  a  snowy  white.  He  wore  his  whiskers  very  large  and 
joined  together  under  the  throat,  and  these,  which  were  also 
white,  from  the  circle  which  they  formed  round  his  face,  and 
contrasting  with  the  colour  of  the  skin,  gave  his  tout  ensembk 
much  more  the  appearance  of  a  royal  Bengal  tiger  than  a 
gentleman.  General  De  Benyon  saw  Mr.  Masterton  leading 
me  forward  to  within  a  pace  or  two  of  the  table  before  the 
general.  "Allow  me  the  pleasure  of  introducing  your  son, 
Japhet." 

There  was  no  hand  extended  to  welcome  me.  My  father 
fixed  his  proud  grey  eyes  upon  me  for  a  moment,  and  then 
turned  to  the  governors  of  the  hospital. 

"Is  this  the  person,  gentlemen,  whom  you  received  as  an 
infant  and  brought  up  as  Japhet  Newlaud  ?" 

The  governors  declared  I  was  the  same  person ;  that  they 
had  bound  me  to  Mr.  Cophagus,  and  had  seen  me  more  than 
once  since  I  quitted  the  Asylum. 

"  Is  this  the  Japhet  Newland  whom  you  received  from  these 
gentlemen  and  brought  up  to  your  business  ?" 

"  Yea,  and  verily — I  do  affirm  the  same — smart  lad — good 
boy — and  so  on." 

•'  I  will  not  take  a  Quaker's  affirmation — you  will  take  your 
oath,  sir  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  Cophagus,  forgetting  his  Quakership  ;  "take 
oath — bring  Bible — kiss  book — and  so  on." 

"  You,  then,  as  a  Quaker,  have  no  objection  to  swear  to  the 
identity  of  this  person  ?" 

"  Swear,"  cried  Cophagus,  "  yes,  swear — swear  now — not 
Japhet ! — I'm  damned — go  to  hell — and  so  on." 

The  other  parties  present  could  not  help  laughing  at  this 
explosion  from  Cophagus,  neither  could  I.  Mr.  Masterton  then 
asked  the  general  if  he  required  any  more  proofs. 

"  No,"  replied  the  general  discourteously  ;  and  speaking  in 
Hindoatanee  to  his  attendants,  they  walked  to  the  door  aim 
opt-ned  it  The  hint  was  takeu,  Mr.  Mastertou  saying  to  the 


382  JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A   FATHER. 

others  in  an  ironical  tone,  "  After  so  long  a  separation,  gentle- 
men, it  must  be  natural  that  the  general  should  wish  to  be  left 
alone,  that  he  may  give  vent  to  his  paternal  feelings  " 


CHAPTER  LXXIV. 

FATHER   AND    I    GROW  WARM   IN    OUR   ARGUMENT OBLIGED   TO    GIVK 

HIM   A    LITTLE    SCHOOLING    TO     SHOW   MY    AFFECTION TAKES    IT 

AT   LAST   VERY    KINDLY,  AND   VERY  DUTIFULLY   OWNS   HIMSELF   A 
FOOL. 

IN  the  mean  time,  I  was  left  standing  in  the  middle  of  the 
room :  the  gentlemen  departed,  and  the  two  native  servants 
resumed  their  stations  on  each  side  of  the  sofa.  I  felt  humiliated 
and  indignant,  but  waited  in  silence  ;  at  last,  my  honoured 
parent,  who  had  eyed  me  for  some  time,  commenced  : — 

"  If  you  think,  young  man,  to  win  my  favour  by  your  good 
looks,  you  are  very  much  mistaken  :  you  are  too  like  yonr 
mother,  whose  memory  is  any  thing  but  agreeable." 

The  blood  mounted  to  my  forehead  at  this  cruel  observation; 
I  folded  my  arms  and  looked  my  father  steadfastly  in  the  face, 
but  made  no  reply.  The  choler  of  the  gentleman  was  raised. 

"  It  appears  that  I  have  found  a  most  dutiful  son." 

I  was  about  to  make  an  angry  answer,  when  I  recollected 
myself,  and  I  courteously  replied,  "  My  dear  general,  depend 
upon  it  that  your  son  will  always  be  ready  to  pay  duty  to  whom 
duty  is  due  ;  but  excuse  me,  in  the  agitation  of  this  meeting 
you  have  forgotten  those  little  attentions  which  courtesy  de- 
mands :  with  your  permission  I  will  take  a  chair,  and  then  we 
may  converse  more  at  our  ease.  I  hope  your  leg  is  better." 

1  said  this  with  the  blandest  voice  and  the  most  studied 
politeness,  and  drawing  a  chair  towards  the  table,  I  took  my 
Beat ;  as  I  expected,  it  put  my  honoured  father  hi  a 
rage. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  383 

"  If  this  is  a  specimen,  sir,  of  your  duty  and  respect,  sir,  1 
hope  to  see  no  more  of  them.  To  whom  your  duty  is  due,  sir  ! 
— and  pray  to  whom  is  it  due,  sir,  if  not  to  the  author  of  your 
existence  ?"  cried  the  general,  striking  the  table  before  him  with 
his  enormous  fist,  so  as  to  make  the  ink  fly  out  of  the  stand 
some  inches  high  and  bespatter  the  papers  near  it. 

"  My  dear  father,'  you  are  perfectly  correct :  duty,  as  you 
iay,,  is  due  to  the  author  of  our  existence.  If  I  recollect  right, 
the  commandment  says,  '  Honour  your  father  and  your  mother;' 
but  at  the  same  time,  if  I  may  venture  to  offer  an  observation, 
are  there  not  such  things  as  reciprocal  duties — some  which  are 
even  more  paramount  in  a  father  than  the  mere  begetting  of  a 
son  ?" 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir,  by  these  insolent  remarks  ?"  inter- 
rupted my  father. 

"  Excuse  me,  my  dear  father,  I  may  be  wrong,  but  if  so,  I  will 
bow  to  your  superior  judgment ;  but  it  does  appear  to  me,  that 
the  mere  hanging  me  in  a  basket  at  the  gate  of  the  Foundling 
Hospital,  and  leaving  me  a  bank-note  of  fifty  pounds  to  educate 
and  maintain  me  until  the  age  of  twenty-four,  are  not  exactly 
all  the  duties  incumbent  upon  a  parent.  If  you  think  that  they 
are,  I  am  afraid  that  the  world,  as  well  as  myself,  will  be  of  a 
different  opinion.  Not  that  I  intend  to  make  any  complaint,  as 
I  feel  assured  that  now  circumstances  have  put  it  in  your  power, 
it  is  your  intention  to  make  me  amends  for  leaving  me  so  long 
in  a  state  of  destitution,  and  wholly  dependent  upon  my  owu 
resources." 

"  You  do,  do  you,  sir  ?  well,  now,  I'll  tell  you  my  resolution, 
which  is — There  is  the  door — go  out,  and  never  let  me  see  your 
face  again." 

"  My  dear  father,  as  I  am  convinced  this  is  only  a  little 

pleasantry  on  your  part,  or  perhaps  a  mere  trial  whether  I  am 

-sed  of  the  spirit  and  determination  of  a  De  Benyon,  I 

shall,  of  course,  please  you  by  not  complying  with  your  humour* 

ous  request." 

"  Won't  you,  by  G — d  ?"  roared  my  father  ;  then  turning  to 


384  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

his  two  native  servants,  he  spoke  to  them  in  Hindostanee. 
They  immediately  walked  to  the  door,  threw  it  wide  open,  and 
then  coming  back  to  me,  were  about  to  take  me  by  the  arms. 
I  certainly  felt  my  blood  boil,  but  I  recollected  how  necessary 
it  was  to  keep  my  temper.  I  rose  from  my  chair,  and  advanc- 
ing to  the  side  of  the  sofa,  I  said, — 

"  My  dear  father,  as  I  perceive  that  you  do  not  require  your 
crutches  at  this  moment,  you  will  not  perhaps  object  to  my 
taking  one.  These  foreign  scoundrels  must  Hot  be  permitted 
to  insult  you  through  the  person  of  your  only  son." 

"  Turn  him  out,"  roared  my  father. 

The  natives  advanced,  but  I  whirled  the  crutch  round  my 
head,  and  in  a  moment  they  were  both  prostrate.  As  soon  as 
they  gained  their  feet,  I  attacked  them  again,  until  they  made 
their  escape  out  of  the  room  ;  I  then  shut  the  door  and  turned 
the  key. 

"  Thank  you,  my  dear  sir,"  said  I,  returning  the  crutch  to 
where  it  was  before.  "  Many  thanks  for  thus  permitting  me  to 
chastise  the  insolence  of  these  black  scoundrels,  whom,  I  ta-ke 
it  for  granted,  you  will  immediately  discharge  ;"  and  I  again 
took  my  seat  in  the  chair,  bringing  it  closer  to  him. 

The  rage  of  the  general  was  now  beyond  all  bounds  ;  the 
white  foam  was  spluttered  out  of  his  mouth,  as  he  in  vain 
endeavoured  to  find  words.  Once  he  actually  rose  from  the 
sofa,  to  take  the  law  in  his  own  hands,  but  the  effort  seriously 
injured  his  leg,  and  he  threw  himself  down  in  pain  and  disap- 
pointment. 

"  My  dear  father,  I  am  afraid  that,  in  your  anxiety  to  help 
me,  you  have  hurt  your  leg  again,"  said  I,  in  a  soothing  voice. 

"  Sirrah,  sirrah,"  exclaimed  he  at  last,  "  if  you  think  that, 
this  will  do,  you  are  very  much  mistaken.  You  don't  know 
me.  You  may  turn  out  a  couple  of  cowardly  blacks,  but  now 
I'll  show  you  that  I  am  not  to  be  played  with.  I  discard  yon 
for  ever — I  disinherit — I  disacknowledge  you.  You  may  tako 
your  choice,  either  to  quit  this  room,  or  be  put  into  the  hands 
of  the  police." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          385 

"  The  police,  ray  dear  sir  !  What  can  the  police  do  ?  I 
may  call  in  the  police  for  the  assault  just  committed  by  your 
servants,  and  have  them  up  to  Bow  Street,  but  you  cannot 
charge  me  with  an  assault." 

"  But  I  will,  by  G — d,  sir,  true  or  not  true." 

"  Indeed  you  would  not,  my  dear  father.  A  De  Benyon 
would  never  be  guilty  of  a  lie.  Besides,  if  you  were  to  call  in 
the  police  ; — I  wish  to  argue  this  matter  coolly,  because  I 
ascribe  your  present  little  burst  of  ill-humour  to  your  sufferings 
from  your  unfortunate  accident.  Allowing,  then,  my  dear 
father,  that  you  were  to  charge  me  with  an  assault,  I  should 
immediately  be  under  the  necessity  of  charging  you  also,  and 
then  we  must  both  go  to  Bow  Street  together.  Were  you 
ever  at  Bow  Street,  general  ?"  The  general  made  no  reply, 
and  I  proceeded.  "  Besides,  my  dear  sir,  only  imagine  how 
very  awkward  it  would  be  when  the  magistrate  put  you  on 
your  oath,  and  asked  you  to  make  your  charge.  What  would 
you  be  obliged  to  declare?  That  you  had  married  when 
young,  and  finding  that  your  wife  had  no  fortune,  had  deserted 
her  the  second  day  after  your  marriage.  That  you,  an  officer 
in  the  army,  and  the  Honourable  Captain  de  Benyon,  had  hung 
up  your  child  at  the  gates  of  the  Foundling  Hospital — that 
you  had  again  met  your  wife,  married  t->  another,  and  had  been 
an  accomplice  in  concealing  her  capital  offence  of  bigamy,  and 
had  had  meetings  with  her,  although  she  belonged  to  another. 
I  say  meetings,  for  you  did  meet  her,  to  receive  her  directions 
about  me.  I  am  charitable,  and  suspect  nothing — others  will 
not  be  so.  Then,  after  her  death,  you  come  home  and  inquire 
about  your  son.  His  identity  is  established, — and  what  then  ? 
not  only  you  do  not  take  him  by  the  hand,  in  common  civility, 
I  might  say,  but  you  first  try  to  turn  him  out  of  the  house,  and 
to  jrive  him  in  charge  of  the  police  ;  and  then  you  will  have  to 
jcitt-  for  what.  Perhaps  you  will  answer  me  that  question,  for 
!  really  do  not  know." 

By  tlii-  time,  my  honoured  father's  wrath  had,  to  a  certain 
degree,  subsided  :  he  heard  all  I  had  to  say,  and  he  felt  how 

II 


386  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

very  ridiculous  would  have  been  his  intended  proceedings,  and, 
as  his  wrath  subsided,  so  did  his  pain  increase  :  he  had  seriously 
injured  his  leg,  and  it  was  swelling  rapidly — the  bandages 
tightened  in  consequence,  and  he  was  suffering  under  the 
acutest  pain.  "  Oh,  oh  !"  groaned  he. 

"  My  dear  father,  can  I  assist  you  ?" 

"  Ring  the  bell,  sir." 

"  There  is  no  occasion  to  summon  assistance  while  I  am 
here,  my  dear  general.  I  can  attend  you  professionally, 
and  if  you  will  allow  me,  will  soon  relieve  your  pain.  Your 
leg  has  swollen  from  exertion,  and  the  bandages  must  be 
loosened." 

He  made  no  reply,  but  his  features  were  distorted  with 
extreme  pain.  I  went  to  him,  and  proceeded  to  unloose 
the  bandages,  which  gave  him  considerable  relief.  I  then 
replaced  them,  secundum  artem,  and  with  great  tenderness, 
and  going  to  the  sideboard,  took  the  lotion  which  was  stand- 
ing there  with  the  other  bottles,  and  wetted  the  bandages. 
In  a  few  minutes  he  was  quite  relieved.  "  Perhaps,  sir," 
said  I,  "  you  had  better  try  to  sleep  a  little.  I  will  take 
a  book,  and  shall  have  great  pleasure  in  watching  by  your 
side." 

Exhausted  with  pain  and  violence,  the  general  made  no 
reply  ;  he  fell  back  on  the  sofa,  and,  in  a  short  time,  he  snored 
most  comfortably.  "  I  have  conquered  you,"  thought  I,  as  I 
watched  him  as  he  lay  asleep.  "  If  I  have  not  yet,  I  will,  that 
T.  am  resolved."  I  walked  gently  to  the  door,  unlocked  it,  and 
opening  it  without  waking  him,  ordered  some  broth  to  be 
brought  up  immediately,  saying  that  the  general  was  asleep, 
and  that  I  would  wait  for  it  outside.  I  accomplished  this  little 
manoeuvre,  and  reclosed  the  door  without  waking  my  father, 
and  then  I  took  my  seat  in  the  chair,  and  resumed  my  book, 
having  placed  the  broth  on  the  side  of  the  fire  grate  to 
keep  it  warm.  In  about  an  hour  he  awoke,  and  looked  around 
him. 

"  Do  you  want  any  thing,  my  dearest  father  ?"  inquired  I 


:APHET,  IN  SEARCH  or  A  FATHER.  381 

The  general  appeared  undecided  as  to  whether  to  recommence 
hostilities  ;  but  at  last  he  said,  "  I  wish  the  attendance  of  my 
servants,  sir." 

"  The  attendance  of  a  servant  can  never  be  equal  to  that  of 
your  own  son,  general,"  replied  I,  going  to  the  fire,  and  taking 
the  basin  of  broth,  which  I  replaced  upon  the  tray  containing 
the  et  ceteras  on  a  napkin.  "  I  expected  you  would  require  your 
broth,  and  I  have  had  it  ready  for  you." 

"It  was  what  I  did  require,  sir,  I  must  acknowledge," 
replied  my  father,  and  without  further  remark  he  finished  the 
broth. 

I  removed  the  tray,  and  then  went  for  the  lotion,  and  agaia 
wetted  the  bandages  on  bis  leg.  "  Is  there  any  thing  else  I  cai 
do  for  you,  sir  ?"  said  I. 

"  Nothing — I  am  very  comfortable." 

"  Then,  sir,"  replied  I,  "  I  will  now  take  my  leave.  You 
have  desired  me  to  quit  your  presence  for  ever  ;  and  you 
attempted  force.  I  resisted  that,  because  I  would  not  allow 
you  to  have  the  painful  remembrance  that  you  had  injured  one 
who  had  strong  claims  upon  you,  and  had  never  injured  you.  I 
resented  it  also,  because  I  wished  to  prove  to  you  that  I  was  a 
De  Benyon,  and  had  spirit  to  resist  an  insult.  But,  general,  if 
you  imagine  that  I  have  come  here  with  a  determination  of 
forcing  myself  upon  you,  you  are  much  mistaken.  I  am  too 
proud,  and  happily  am  independent  by  my  own  exertions,  so  as 
not  to  require  your  assistance.  Had  you  received  me  kindly, 
believe  me,  you  would  have  found  a  grateful  and  affectionate 
heart  to  have  met  that  kindness.  You  would  have  found  a  son, 
whose  sole  object  through  life  has  been  to  discover  a  father, 
after  whom  he  has  yearned,  who  would  have  been  delighted  to 
have  administered  to  his  wants,  to  have  yielded  to  his  wishes, 
to  have  soothed  him  in  his  pain,  and  to  have  watched  him  in  his 
sickness.  Deserted  as  I  have  been  for  so  many  years,  I  trust 
that  I  have  not  disgraced  you,  General  De  Beuyon  ;  and  if  ever 
J  have  done  wrong,  it  has  been  from  a  wish  to  discover  you.  I 
can  appeal  to  Lord  Windermear  for  the  truth  of  that  assertion, 


B88  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

Allow  me  to  say,  that  it  is  a  very  severe  trial — an  ordeal  which 
few  pass  through  with  safety — to  be  thrown  as  I  have  been 
upon  the  world,  with  no  friend,  no  parent  to  assist  or  to  advise 
me,  to  have  to  bear  up  against  the  contingency  of  being  of 
unacknowledged  and  perhaps  disgraceful  birth.  It  is  harder 
still,  when  I  expected  to  find  my  dearest  wishes  realised,  that, 
without  any  other  cause  than  that  of  my  features  resembling 
those  of  my  mother,  I  am  to  be  again  cast  away.  One  thing, 
General  De  Benyon,  I  request,  and  I  trust  it  will  not  be  denied, 
which  is,  that  I  may  assume  the  name  which  I  am  entitled  to. 
I  pledge  you  that  I  never  will  disgrace  it.  A.nd  now,  sir,  ask- 
ing and  expecting  no  more,  I  take  my  leave,  and  you  may 
be  assured,  that  neither  poverty,  privation,  nor  affliction  of  any 
kind,  will  ever  induce  me  to  again  intrude  into  your  presence. 
General  De  Beuyon,  farewell  for  ever." 

I  made  my  father  a  profound  bow,  and  was  quitting  the 
room. 

"  Stop,  sir,"  said  the  general.  "  Stop  one  moment,  if  you 
please." 

I  obeyed. 

"Why  did  you  put  me  out  of  temper?    Answer  me  that." 

"  Allow  me  to  observe,  sir,  that  I  did  not  put  you  out  of  tem- 
per ;  and  what  is  more,  that  I  never  lost  my  own  temper 
during  the  insult  and  injury  which  I  so  undeservedly  and  unex- 
pectedly have  received." 

"  But  that  very  keeping  your  temper  made  me  more  angry, 
sir." 

"  That  is  very  possible  ;  but  surely  I  was  not  to  blame.  The 
greatest  proof  of  a  perfect  gentleman  is,  that  he  is  able  to  com- 
mand his  temper,  and  I  wished  you  to  acknowledge  that  I  was 
not  without  such  pretensions." 

"  That  is  as  much  as  to  say  that  your  father  is  no  gentleman ; 
and  this,  I  presume,  is  a  specimen  of  your  filial  duty,"  replied 
the  general,  warmly. 

"  Far  from  it,  sir  ;  there  are  many  gentlemen  who,  unfortu- 
nately, cannot  command  their  tempers  and  are  more  to  be 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  389 

pitied  than  blamed  for  it ;  but,  sir,  when  such  happens  to  be 
the  case,  they  invariably  redeem  their  error,  and  amply  so,  by 
expressing  their  sorrow,  and  offering  an  apology." 

"  That  is  as  much  as  to  say,  that  you  expect  me  to  apologise 
to  you." 

"  Allow  me,  sir,  to  ask  you,  did  you  ever  know  a  De  Benyon 
submit  to  an  insult  ?" 

"  No,  sir,  I  trust  not." 

"  Then,  sir,  those  whose  feelings  of  pride  will  not  allow  them 
to  submit  to  an  insult  ought  never  to  insult  others.  If,  in  the 
warmth  of  the  moment,  they  have  done  so,  that  pride  should 
immediately  induce  them  to  offer  an  apology,  not  only  due  to 
the  party,  but  to  their  own  characters.  There  is  no  disgrace  in 
making  an  apology  when  we  are  in  error,  but  there  is  a  great 
disgrace  in  withholding  such  an  act  of  common  justice  and 
reparation." 

"  I  presume  I  am  to  infer  from  all  this,  that  you  expect  an 
apology  from  me  ?" 

"  General  De  Benyon,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  that  is 
now  of  little  importance  ;  we  part,  and  shall  probably  never 
meet  again  ;  if  you  think  that  it  would  make  you  feel  more 
comfortable,  I  am  willing  to  receive  it." 

"  I  must  suppose  by  that  observation,  that  you  fully  expect 
it,  and  otherwise  will  not  stay  ?" 

"  I  never  had  a  thought  of  staying,  general ;  you  have  told 
me  that  you  have  disinherited  and  discarded  me  for  ever ;  no 
one  with  the  feelings  of  a  man  would  eve.*  think  of  remaining 
after  such  a  declaration." 

"  Upon  what  terms,  then,  sir,  am  I  to  understand  that  you 
will  consent  to  remain  with  me,  and  forget  all  that  has 
passed  ?" 

"  My  terms  are  simple,  general ;  you  must  say  that  you 
retract  what  you  have  said,  and  are  very  sorry  for  having 
insulted  me." 

"  And  without  I  do  that,  you  will  never  come  here  again  ?" 

"  Most  decidedly  not,  sir.    I  shall  always  wish  you  well,  pray 


390  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

for  your  happiness,  be  sorry  at  your  death,  and  attend  your  fun- 
eral as  chief  mourner,  although  you  disinherit  me.  That  is  my 
duty,  in  return  for  my  having  taken  your  name,  and  your  hay- 
ing acknowledged  that  I  am  your  son  ;  but  live  with  you,  or 
even  see  you  occasionally,  I  will  not,  after  what  has  passed  thig 
day,  without  you  make  me  an  apology." 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  it  was  necessary  for  a  father  to  apo 
logise  to  his  son." 

"  If  you  wrong  a  stranger,  you  offer  an  apology  ;  how  much 
more  is  it  due  to  a  near  relation  ?" 

"  But  a  parent  has  claims  upon  his  own  son,  sir,  for  which  he 
is  bound  to  tender  his  duty." 

"  I  grant  it,  in  the  ordinary  course  of  things  in  this  life  ; 
but,  General  de  Benyon,  what  claims  have  you  as  a  parent 
upon  me  ?  A  son  in  most  cases  is  indebted  to  his  parents  for 
their  care  and  attention  in  infancy — his  education — his  religious 
instruction — his  choice  of  a  profession,  and  his  advancement  in 
life,  by  their  exertions  and  interest  ;  and  when  they  are  called 
away,  he  has  a  reasonable  expectation  of  their  leaving  him  a 
portion  of  their  substance.  They  have  a  heavy  debt  of  grati- 
tude to  pay  for  what  they  have  received,  and  they  are  further 
checked  by  the  hopes  of  what  they  may  hereafter  receive.  Up 
to  this  time,  sir,  I  have  not  received  the  first,  and  this  day  I 
am  told  that  I  need  not  expect  the  last.  Allow  me  to  ask  you, 
General  de  Benyon,  upon  what  grounds  you  claim  from  me  a 
filial  duty  ?  certainly  not  for  benefits  received,  or  for  benefits 
in  expectation  ;  but  I  feel  that  I  am  intruding,  and  therefore,  sir, 
once  more,  with  every  wish  for  your  happiness,  I  take  my  leave." 

I  went  out,  and  had  half  closed  the  door  after  me,  when  the 
general  cried  out,  "  Stop — don't  go — Japhet — my  son — I  was 
in  a  passion — I  beg  your  pardon — don't  mind  what  I  said — I'm 
a  passionate  old  fool." 

As  he  uttered  this  in  broken  sentences,  I  returned  to  nim. 
He  held  out  his  hand.  "Forgive  me,  boy — forgive  your 
father."  I  knelt  down  and  kissed  his  hand  ;  he  drew  me 
towards  him,  and  I  wept  upon  his  bosom. 


JAFHET,    IN   SEARCH   OF   A    FATHER.  391 


CHAPTER   LXXV. 

FATHER     STir.L     DUTIFULLY     SUBMISSIVE    AT    HOME ABROAD    I    AM 

SPLITTING  A  STRAW  IN  ARGUMENTS  WITH  SUSANNAH  ABOUT  STRAW 

BONNETS THE    REST     OF    THE     CHAPTER    CONTAINS     COQUETRY 

COURTING,  AND  COSTUMES. 

IT  was  some  time  before  we  were  sufficiently  composed  to  enter 
into  conversation,  and  then  I  tried  my  utmost  to  please  him. 
Still  there  was  naturally  a  restraint  on  both  sides,  but  I  was 
BO  particular  and  devoted  in  my  attentions,  so  careful  of  giving 
offence,  that  when  he  complained  of  weariness,  and  a  wish  to 
retire,  he  stipulated  that  I  should  be  with  him  to  breakfast  on 
the  next  morning. 

I  hastened  to  Mr.  Masterton,  although  it  was  late,  to  com- 
municate to  him  all  that  had  passed  :  he  heard  me  with  great 
interest.  "  Japhet,"  said  he,  "  yon  have  done  well — it  is  the 
proudest  day  of  your  life.  You  have  completely  mastered  him- 
The  royal  Bengal  tiger  is  tamed.  I  wish  you  joy,  my  dear 
fellow.  Now  I  trust  that  all  will  be  well.  But  keep  your  own 
counsel  ;  do  not  let  this  be  known  at  Reading.  Let  them  still 
imagine  that  your  father  is  as  passionate  as  ever,  which  he  will 
be,  by-the-by,  with  every  body  else.  You  have  still  to  follow 
up  your  success,  and  leave  me  to  help  you  in  other  matters." 

I  returned  home  to  the  Piazza,  and,  thankful  to  Heaven  for 
the  events  of  the  day,  I  soon  fell  fast  asleep,  and  dreamt  of 
Susannah  Temple.  The  next  morning  I  was  early  at  the 
Adelphi  Hotel  ;  my  father  had  not  yet  risen,  but  the  native 
servants  who  passed  in  and  out,  attending  upon  him,  and  who 
took  care  to  give  me  a  wide  berth,  had  informed  him  that 
"  Burra  Saib's "  son  was  come,  and  he  sent  for  me.  His  leg 
was  very  painful  and  uncomfortable,  and  the  surgeon  had  not 
yet  made  his  appearance.  I  arranged  it  as  before,  and  he  then 
dressed,  and  came  out  to  breakfast.  I  had  said  nothing  before 
the  servants,  but  as  soon  as  he  was  comfortable  ou  the  sofa,  J 


392  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

took  his  hand,  and  kissed  it,  saying,  "  Good  morning,  my  deal 
father  ;  I  hope  you  do  not  repent  of  your  kindness  to  me 
yesterday." 

"  No,  no  ;  God  bless  you,  boy.  I've  been  thinking  of  you 
all  night." 

"  All's  right,"  thought  I ;  "  and  I  trust  to  be  able  to  keep  it 
§o." 

I  shall  pass  over  a  fortnight,  during  which  I  was  in  constant 
attendance  upon  my  father.  At  times  he  would  fly  out  in  a 
most  violent  manner,  but  I  invariably  kept  my  temper,  and 
when  it  was  all  over,  would  laugh  at  him,  generally  repeating 
and  acting  all  which  he  had  said  and  done  during  his  paroxysm. 
I  found  this  rather  dangerous  ground  at  first,  but  by  degrees 
he  became  used  to  it,  and  it  was  wonderful  how  it  acted  as  a 
check  upon  him.  He  would  not  at  first  believe  but  that  I  exag- 
gerated, when  the  picture  was  held  up  to  his  view  and  he  was 
again  calm.  My  father  was  not  naturally  a  bad-tempered  man, 
but  having  been  living  among  a  servile  race,  and  holding  high 
command  in  the  army,  he  had  gradually  acquired  a  habit  of 
authority,  and  an  impatience  of  contradiction  which  was  unbear- 
able to  all  around.  Those  who  were  high-spirited  and  sensitive 
shunned  him  ;  the  servile  and  the  base  continued  with  him  for 
their  own  interests,  but  trembled  at  his  wrath.  I  had  during 
this  time  narrated  to  my  father  the  events  of  my  life,  and,  I  am 
happy  to  say,  had,  by  attention  and  kindness,  joined  with  firm- 
ness and  good  temper,  acquired  a  dominion  over  him.  I  had 
at  his  request  removed  to  the  hotel,  and  lived  with  him  alto- 
gether. His  leg  was  rapidly  arriving  to  a  state  of  convales- 
cence, and  he  now  talked  of  taking  a  house  and  setting  up  his 
establishment  in  London.  I  had  seen  but  little  of  Mr.  Master- 
ton  during  this  time,  as  I  had  remained  in-doors  in  attendance 
upon  the  general.  I  had  written  once  to  Mr.  Cophagus,  stating 
how  1  was  occupied,  but  saying  nothing  about  our  reconcilia- 
tion. One  morning,  Mr  Masterton  called  upon  us,  and  after  a 
little  conversation  with  the  general,  he  told  me  that  he  had 
persuaded  Mr.  Cophagus  and  his  wife  to  leave  Reading  and 


JAPHET,    IN  SEARCH    OF   A    FATHEK.  393 

come  to  London,  and  that  Susannah  Temple  was  to  come  with 
them. 

"  On  a  visit  ?"  inquired  I. 

"  No,  not  on  a  visit.  I  have  seen  Cophagus,  and  he  is  deter- 
mined to  cut  the  Quakers,  and  reside  in  London  altogether." 

"What !  does  he  intend  to  return  .to  the  pomps  and  vanities 
of  this  wicked  world  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  believe  so,  and  his  wife  will  join  him.  She  bas  no 
objection  to  decorate  her  pretty  person." 

"  I  never  thought  that  she  had — but  Susannah  Temple " 

"  When  Susannah  is  away  from  her  friends,  when  she  Sndtf 
that  her  sister  and  brother-in-law  no  longer  wear  the  drecic,  and 
when  she  is  constantly  in  your  company,  to  all  which  please  to 
add  the  effect  I  trust  of  my  serious  admonitions,  she  will  'soon 
do  as  others  do,  or  she  is  no  woman.  This  is  all  my  plan,  and 
leave  it  to  me — only  play  your  part  by  seeing  as  much  of  her 
as  you  can." 

"  You  need  not  fear  that,"  replied  I. 

"  Does  your  father  know  of  your  attachment  ?"  inquired  Mr. 
Masterton. 

"No,  I  passed  her  over  without  mentioning  her  name," 
replied  I.  "  It  is  too  soon  yet  to  talk  to  him  about  my  marry- 
ing ;  in  fact,  the  proposal  must,  if  possible,  come  from  him. 
Could  not  you  manage  that  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  will  if  I  can  ;  but,  as  yon  say,  wait  awhile.  Here 
is  their  address — you  must  call  to-morrow,  if  you  can  ;  and  do 
you  think  you  can  dine  with  me  on  Thursday  ?" 

"  Yes,  if  the  general  continues  improving  ;  if  not,  I  will  send 
you  word." 

The  next  day  I  complained  of  a  head-ache,  and  said,  that  I 
would  walk  out  until  dinner-time.  I  hastened  to  the  address 
given  me  by  Mr.  Masterton,  and  found  that  Mr.  Cophagus  and 
his  wife  were  out,  but  Susannah  remained  at  home.  After  our 
first  questions,  I  inquired  of  her  how  she  liked  London. 

"  I  am  almost  afraid  to  say,  Japhet,  at  least  to  you ;  you 
would  only  laugh  at  me." 


394  JAPHBT,    IN   SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER. 

"  Not  so.  Susannah  ;  I  never  laugh  when  I  know  people  are 
sincere." 

"  It  appears  to  me  then  to  be  a  vanity  fair." 

"  That  there  is  more  vanity  in  London  than  in  any  other  city 
I  grant,"  replied  I  ;  "  but  recollect,  that  there  are  more  people 
and  more  wealth.  I  do  not  think  that  there  is  more  in  propor- 
tion than  in  other  towns  in  England,  and  if  there  is  more 
vanity,  Susannah,  recollect  also  that  there  is  more  industry, 
more  talent,  and  I  should  hope  a  greater  proportion  of  good 
and  honest  people  among  its  multitudes  ;  there  is  also,  unfor- 
tunately, more  misery  and  more  crime." 

"  I  believe  you  are  right,  Japhet.  Are  you  aware  that  Mr. 
Cophagus  has  put  off  his  plain  attire  ?" 

"  If  it  grieves  you,  Susannah,  it  grieves  me  also  ;  but  I  pre- 
sume he  finds  it  necessary  not  to  be  so  remarkable." 

"  For  him,  I  could  find  some  excuse  ;  but  what  will  you  say, 
Japhet,  when  I  tell  you  that  my  own  sister,  born  and  bred  up 
to  our  tenets,  hath  also  much  deviated  from  the  dress  of  the 
females  of  our  sect  ?" 

"  In  what  hath  she  made  an  alteration  ?" 

"  She  has  a  bonnet  of  plaited  straw  with  ribands." 

"  Of  what  colour  are  the  ribands  ?" 

"  Nay,  of  the  same  as  her  dress — of  grey." 

"  Your  bonnet,  Susannah,  is  of  grey  silk  ;  I  do  not  see  that 
there  is  vanity  in  descending  to  straw,  which  is  a  more  homely 
commodity.  But  what  reason  has  she  given  ?" 

"  That  her  husband  wills  it,  as  he  does  not  like  to  walk  with 
her  in  her  Quaker's  dress." 

"  Is  it  not  her  duty  to  obey  her  husband,  even  as  I  obey  my 
father,  Susannah  ? — but  I  am  not  ashamed  to  walk  out  with 
you  in  your  dress  ;  so  if  you  have  no  objection,  let  me  show  you 
a  part  of  this  great  city." 

Susannah  consented :  we  had  often  walked  together  in  the 
town  of  Reading  :  she  was  evidently  pleased  at  what  I  said.  I 
soon  escorted  her  to  Oxford-street,  from  thence  down  Bond- 
street  and  through  all  the  most  frequented  parts  of  the  metro- 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          395 

polls.  The  dress  naturally  drew  upon  her  the  casual  glance  of 
the  passengers,  but  her  extreme  beauty  turned  the  glance  to  an 
ardent  gaze,  and  long  before  we  had  finished  our  intended 
walk,  Susannah  requested  that  I  would  go  home.  She  was  not 
only  annoyed  but  almost  alarmed  at  the  constant  and  reiterated 
scrutiny  which  she  underwent,  ascribing  it  to  her  dress,  and  not 
to  her  lovely  person.  As  soon  as  we  returned  I  sat  down 
with  her. 

"  So  I  understand  that  Mr.  Cophagus  intends  to  reside  alto- 
gether in  London." 

"  I  have  not  heard  so  ;  I  understood  that  it  was  business 
which  called  him  hither  for  a  few  weeks.  I  trust  not,  for  I 
shall  be  unhappy  here." 

"  May  I  ask  why  ?" 

"The  people  are  rude — it  is  not  agreeable  to  walk  out." 

"  Recollect,  my  dear  Susannah,  that  those  of  your  sect  are 
not  so  plentiful  in  London  as  elsewhere,  and  if  you  wear  a  dress 
BO  different  from  other  people,  you  must  expect  that  curiosity 
will  be  excited.  You  cannot  blame  them — it  is  you  who  make 
yourself  conspicuous,  almost  saying  to  the  people  by  your  gar- 
ment, '  Come,  and  look  at  me.'  I  have  been  reflecting  upon 
what  Mr.  Masterton  said  to  you  at  Reading,  and  I  do  not  know 
whether  he  was  not  right  in  calling  it  a  garb  of  pride  instead 
of  a  garb  of  humility." 

"  If  I  thought  so,  Japhet,  even  I  would  throw  it  off,"  re- 
plied Susannah. 

"  It  certainly  is  not  pleasant  that  every  one  should  think  that 
you  walk  out  on  purpose  to  be  stared  at,  yet  such  is  the  ill- 
natured  coustruetion  of  the  world,  and  they  will  never  believe 
otherwise.  It  is  possible,  I  should  think,  to  dress  with  equal 
simplicity  and  neatness,  to  avoid  gay  colours,  and  yet  to  dress 
ao  as  not  to  excite  observation." 

"  I  hardly  know  what  to  say,  but  that  you  all  appear  against 
me,  and  that  sometimes,  I  feel  that  I  am  too  presumptuous  in 
thus  judging  for  myself." 

"  I  am   not  against  you,  Susannah  ;    I  know  you  will  do 


396  JAPHET,  IK  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

what  you  think  is  right,  aud  I  shall  respect  you  for  that,  even 
if  I  disagree  with  you  ;  but  I  must  say,  that  if  my  wife  were  to 
dress  in  such  a  way  as  to  attract  the  public  gaze,  I  should  feel 
too  jealous  to  approve  of  it.  I  do  not,  therefore,  blame  Mr. 
Cophagus  for  inducing  his  pretty  wife  to  make  some  alteration 
in  her  attire,  neither  do  I  blame,  but  I  commend  her  for  obey- 
ing the  wishes  of  her  husband.  Her  beauty  is  his,  and  not 
common  property." 

Susannah  did  not  reply  :  she  appeared  very  thoughtful. 

"  You  disagree  with  me,  Susannah,"  said  I,  after  a  pause  ; 
"  I  am  sorry  for  it." 

"  I  cannot  say  that  I  do  ;  Japhet,  I  have  learned  a  lesson 
this  day,  and,  in  future,  I  must  think  more  humbly  of  my- 
self, and  be  more  ruled  by  the  opinions  and  judgment  of 
others.'* 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cophagus  then  came  in.  Cophagus  had  re- 
sumed his  medical  coat  and  waistcoat,  but  not  his  pantaloons 
or  Hessians :  his  wife,  who  had  a  very  good  taste  in  dress, 
would  not  allow  him.  She  was  in  her  grey  silk  gown,  but  wore 
a  large  handsome  shawl,  which  covered  all  but  the  skirts  :  on 
her  head  she  had  a  Leghorn  bonnet,  and  certainly  looked  very 
pretty.  As  usual,  she  was  all  good  humour  and  smiles.  I  told 
them  that  we  had  been  walking  out,  and  that  Susannah  had 
been  much  annoyed  by  the  staring  of  the  people. 

"  Always  so,"  said  Cophagus,  "  never  mind — girls  like  it — 
feel  pleased — and  so  on." 

"You  wrong  me  much,  brother  Cophagus,"  replied  Susannah, 
"  it  pained  me  exceedingly." 

"  All  very  well  to  say  so — know  better — sly  puss — will  weai 
dress — people  say,  pretty  Quaker — and  so  on." 

Susannah  hastily  left  the  room  after  this  attack,  and  I  told 
them  what  had  passed. 

"  Mrs.  Cophagus,"  said  I,  "  order  a  bonnet  and  shawl  like 
yours  for  her,  without  telling  her,  and,  perhaps,  you  will  per- 
suade her  to  put  them  on." 

Mrs.  Cophagus  thought  the  idea  excellent,  and  promised  to 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  397 

procure  them.  Susannah  not  making  her  re-appearance,  I  took 
leave,  and  arrived  at  the  hotel  in  good  time  for  dinner. 

"  Japhet,"  said  the  general  to  me  as  we  were  at  table,  "you 
have  mentioned  Lord  Windermear  very  often,  have  you  called 
upon  him  lately  ?" 

"  No,  sir,  it  is  now  two  years  and  more  since  I  have  seen 
him.  When  I  was  summoned  to  town  to  meet  you,  I  was  too 
much  agitated  to  think  of  any  thing  else,  and  since  that  I  have 
had  too  much  pleasure  in  your  company." 

"  Say  rather,  my  good  boy,  that  you  have  nursed  me  so  care- 
fully that  you  have  neglected  your  friends  and  your  health. 
Take  my  carriage  to-morrow,  and  call  upon  him,  and  after  that, 
you  had  better  drive  about  a  little,  for  you  have  been  looking 
pale  these  last  few  days.  I  hope  to  get  out  myself  in  a  short 
time,  and  then  we  will  have  plenty  of  amusement  together  in 
sotting  up  our  establishment." 


CHAPTER   LXXVI. 

I    RENEW     OLD    TIES     OF     FRIENDSHIP,    AND     SEEK     NE^f     ONES     OP 

LOVE OBLIGED   TO  TAKE   MY  FATHER   TO   TASK  ONCE  .MORE HE 

RECEIVES    HIS    LESSON    WITH    PROPER    OBEDIENCE. 

I  TOOK  the  carriage  the  next  day,  and  drove  to  Lord  Winder- 
racer's.  He  was  at  home,  and  I  gave  my  name  to  the  servant, 
as  Mr.  De  Benyon.  It  was  the  first  time  that  I  had  made  use 
of  my  own  name.  His  lordship  was  alone  when  I  entered.  He 
bowed,  as  if  not  recognising  me,  and  waved  his  hand  to  a  chair. 

"  My  lord,  I  have  given  my  true  DM  me,  and  you  treat  me  as 
a  perfect  stranger.  I  will  mention  my  former  name,  and  I  trust 
you  will  honour  me  with  a  recognition.  I  was  Japhet  New- 
land" 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Newland,  you  must  accept  my  apology  ;  bul 


898  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

it  is  so  long  since  we  met,  and  I  did  not  expect  to  see  yo& 
again." 

"  I  thought,  my  lord,  that  Mr.  Masterton  had  informed  yon 
of  what  had  taken  place." 

"  No  ;  I  have  just  come  from  a  visit  to  my  sisters  in  West- 
moreland, and  have  received  no  letters  from  him." 

"  I  have,  my  lord,  at  last  succeeded  in  finding  out  the  object 
of  my  mad  search,  as  you  were  truly  pleased  to  call  it,  in  the 
Honourable  General  De  Benyon,  lately  arrived  from  the  East 
Indies." 

"Where  his  services  are  well  known,"  added  his  lordship. 
"  Mr.  De  Benyon,  I  congratulate  you  with  all  my  heart.  When 
you  refused  my  offers  of  assistance,  and  left  us  all  in  that  mad 
way,  I  certainly  despaired  of  ever  seeing  you  again.  I  am  glad 
that  you  re-appear  under  such  fortunate  auspices.  Has  your 
father  any  family  ?" 

"  None,  my  lord,  but  myself ;  and  my  mother  died  in  the 
East  Indies." 

"  Then,  I  presume,  from  what  I  know  at  the  board  of  con- 
troul,  that  you  may  now  safely  be  introduced  as  a  young  gentle- 
man of  large  fortune  ;  allow  me,  at  least,  to  assist  your  father 
in  placing  you  in  your  proper  sphere  in  society.  Where  is  your 
father  ?" 

"  At  present,  my  lord,  he  is  staying  at  the  Adelphi  Hotel, 
confined  to  his  room  by  an  accident ;  but  I  trust  that  in  a  few 
days  he  will  able  to  come  out." 

"Will  you  offer  my  congratulations  to  him,  and  tell  him, 
that  if  he  will  allow  me,  I  will  have  the  honour  of  paying  my 
respects  to  him.  Will  you  dine  with  me  on  Monday  next  ?" 

I  returned  ray  thanks,  accepted  the  invitation,  and  took  my 
leave,  his  lordship  saying,  as  he  shook  hands  with  me,  "  You 
don't  know  how  happy  this  intelligence  has  made  me.  I  trust 
that  your  father  and  I  shall  be  good  friends." 

When  I  returned  to  the  carriage,  as  my  father  had  desired 
me  to  take  an  airing,  I  thought  I  might  as  well  have  a  com- 
panion, so  I  directed  them  to  drive  to  Mr.  Cophagus's.  Tho 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  399 

servant  knocked,  and  I  went  in  as  soon  as  the  door  was 
opened.  Susannah  and  Mrs.  Cophagus  were  sitting  in  the 
room. 

"  Susannah,"  said  I,  "  I  know  you  do  not  like  to  walk  out, 
BO  I  thought,  perhaps,  you  would  have  no  objection  to  take  an 
airing  in  the  carriage  :  my  father  has  lent  it  to  me.  Will  you 
come  ? — it  will  do  you  good." 

"  It  is  very  kind  of  you,  Japhet,  to  think  of  me  ;  bnt " 

"  But  what  ?"  replied  Mrs.  Cophagus.  "  Surely  thou  wilt 
not  refuse,  Susannah.  It  would  savour  much  of  ingratitude  on 
thy  part." 

"  I  will  not  then  be  ungrateful,"  replied  Susannah,  leaving 
the  room  :  and  in  a  short  time  she  returned  in  a  Leghorn 
bonnet  and  shawl  like  her  sister's.  "  Do  not  I  prove  that  I  am 
not  ungrateful,  Japhet,  since  to  do  credit  to  thy  carriage,  I 
am  content  to  depart  from  the  rules  of  our  persuasion  ?"  said 
Susannah,  smiling. 

"  I  feel  the  kindness  and  the  sacrifice  you  are  making  to 
please  me,  Susannah,"  replied  I  ;  "  but  let  us  lose  no  tune." 

I  handed  her  down  to  the  carriage,  and  we  drove  to  the 
Park.  It  was-  a  beautiful  day,  and  the  Park  was  filled  with 
pedestrians  as  well  as  carriages.  Susannah  was  much  aston- 
ished as  well  as  pleased.  "  Now,  Susannah,"  said  I,  "  If  you 
were  to  call  this  Vanity  Fair,  you  would  not  be  far  wrong  ; 
but  still,  recollect  that  even  all  this  is  productive  of  much 
good.  Reflect  how  many  industrious  people  find  employment 
and  provision  for  their  families  by  the  building  of  these  gay 
vehicles,  their  painting  and  ornamenting.  How  many  are 
employed  at  the  loom  and  at  the  needle,  in  making  these  costly 
dresses.  This  vanity  is  the  cause  of  wealth  not  being  hoarded, 
bnt  finding  its  way  through  various  channels,  so  as  to  produce 
comfort  and  happiness  to  thousands." 

"  Your  observations  are  just,  Japhet,  but  you  have  lived  iu 
the  world,  and  seen  much  of  it.  I  am  as  one  just  burst  from 
an  egg-shell,  all  amazement.  I  have  been  living  in  a  little 
world  of  ray  own  thoughts,  surrounded  by  a  mist  of  ignorance, 


400  JAPHET,  I*  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

and  not  being  able  to  penetrate  farther,  have  considered  myself 
wise  when  I  was  not." 

"  My  dear  Susannah,  this  is  a  checkered  world,  but  not  a 
very  bad  one — there  is  in  it  much  of  good  as  well  as  evil.  The 
sect  to  which  you  belong  avoid  it — they  know  it  not — and  they 
are  unjust  towards  it.  During  the  time  that  I  lived  at  Read- 
ing, I  will  candidly  state  to  you  that  I  met  with  many  who 
called  themselves  of  the  persuasion,  who  were  wholly  unworthy 
of  it,  but  they  made  up  in  outward  appearance  and  hypocrisy 
what  they  wanted  in  their  conduct  to  their  fellow-creatures. 
Believe  me,  Susannah,  there  are  pious  and  good,  charitable  and 
humane,  conscientious  and  strictly  honourable  people  among 
those  who  now  pass  before  your  view  in  such  gay  procession  ; 
but  society  requires  that  the  rich  should  spend  their  money  in 
superfluities,  that  the  poor  may  be  supported.  Be  not  de- 
oeived,  therefore,  in  future,  by  the  outward  garments,  which 
avail  nothing. 

"  You  have  induced  me  much  to  alter  my  opinions  already, 
Japhet ;  so  has  that  pleasant  friend  of  thine,  Mr.  Mastertou, 
who  has  twice  called  since  we  have  been  in  London  ;  but  is  it 
not  time  that  we  should  return  ?" 

"  It  is  indeed  later  than  I  thought  it  was,  Susannah,"  replied 
I,  looking  at  my  watch,  "  and  I  am  afraid  that  my  father  will 
be  impatient  for  my  return.  I  will  order  them  to  drive  home." 

As  we  drove  along,  leaning  against  the  back  of  the  carriage, 
my  hand  happened  to  touch  that  of  Susannah,  which  lay  besid* 
her  on  the  cushion,  and  I  could  not  resist  taking  it  in  mine, 
and  it  was  not  withdrawn.  What  my  thoughts  were,  the 
reader  may  imagine  :  Susannah's  I  cannot  acquaint  him  with  ; 
but  in  that  position  we  remained  in  silence  until  the  carriage 
stopped  at  Cophagus's  door.  I  handed  Susannah  out  of  the 
carriage,  and  went  up  stairs  for  a  few  moments.  Mrs.  Copha- 
gus  and  her  husband  were  out. 

"  Susannah,  this  is  very  kind  of  you,  and  I  return  you  my 
thanks.  I  never  felt  more  happy  than  when  seated  with  you  in 
that  carriage." 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  40J 

"  I  have  received  both  amusement  and  instruction,  Japhet, 
and  ought  to  thank  you.  Do  you  know  what  passed  in  my 
mind  at  one  time  ?" 

«  No— tell  me." 

"  When  I  first  knew  you,  and  you  came  among  us,  I  was,  aa 
it  were,  the  guide,  a  presumptuous  one,  perhaps,  to  you,  and  you 
listened  to  me — now  it  is  reversed — now  that  we  are  removed, 
and  in  the  world,  it  is  you  that  are  the  guide,  and  it  is  I  who 
listen  and  obey." 

"  Because,  Susannah,  when  we  first  met  I  was  much  in  error, 
and  had  thought  too  little  of  serious  things,  and  you  were  fit  to 
be  my  guide  :  now  we  are  mixing  in  the  world,  with  which  I 
am  better  acquainted  than  yourself.  You  then  corrected  me 
when  I  was  wrong  :  I  now  point  out  to  you  where  you  are  not 
rightly  informed  ;  but,  Susannah,  what  you  have  learnt  of  me 
is  as  nought  compared  with  the  valuable  precepts  which  I 
gained  from  your  lips,  precepts  which,  I  trust,  no  collision  with 
the  world  will  ever  make  me  forget." 

"  Oh  !  I  love  to  hear  you  say  that ;  I  was  fearful  that  the 
world  would  spoil  you,  Japhet ;  but  it  will  not — will  it  ?" 

"  Not  so  long  as  I  have  you  still  with  me,  Susannah  :  but  if 
I  am  obliged  to  mix  again  with  the  world,  tell  me,  Susannah, 
will  you  reject  me? — will  you  desert  me? — will  yon  return  to 
your  own  people,  and  leave  me  so  exposed  ?  Susannah,  dear- 
est, you  must  know  how  long,  how  dearly  I  have  loved  you  : — 
you  know  that,  if  I  had  not  been  sent  for  and  obliged  to  obey 
the  message,  I  would  have  lived  and  died  content  with  you. 
Will  you  not  listen  to  me  now,  or  do  you  reject  me  ?" 

I  put  my  arm  round  her  waist,  her  head  fell  upon  my  shoul- 
der, and  she  burst  into  tears.  "  Speak,  dearest,  this  suspense 
in  torture  to  me,"  continued  I. 

"  I  do  love  you,  Japhet,"  replied  she  at  last,  looking  fondly 
at  me  through  her  tears  ;  "  but  I  know  not  whether  this  earthly 
love  may  not  have  weakened  ray  affection  towards  Heaven.  If 
so,  may  Qod  pardon  me,  for  I  cannot  help  it." 

After  this    avowal,    for   a   few   minutes,   which    appeared 


402  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

secouds,  we  were  in  each  other's  arms,  when  Susannah  diseii 
gaged  herself. 

"  Dearest  Japhet,  thy  father  will  be  much  displeased.'' 

"  I  cannot  help  it,"  replied  I — '  I  shall  submit  to  his  di» 
pleasure." 

"  Nay,  but,  Japhet,  why  risk  thy  father's  wrath  ?" 

"  Well,  then,"  replied  I,  attempting  to  reach  her  lips,  "  I 
will  go." 

"  Nay,  nay — indeed,  Japhet,  you  exact  too  much-  -it  is  not 
seemly." 

"  Then  I  won't  go." 

"  Recollect  about  thy  father." 

"  It  is  you  who  detain  me,  Susannah." 

"  I  must  not  injure  thee  with  thy  father,  Japhet,  it  were 
no  proof  of  my  affection — but,  indeed,  you  are  self-willed." 

"  God  bless  you,  Susannah,"  said  I,  as  I  gained  the  contested 
point,  and  hastened  to  the  carriage. 

My  father  was  a  little  out  of  humour  when  I  returned,  and 
questioned  me  rather  sharply  as  to  where  I  had  been.  I  half 
pacified  him  by  delivering  Lord  Windermear's  polite  message  ; 
but  he  continued  his  interrogations :  and  although  I  had 
pointed  out  to  him  that  a  De  Benyon  would  never  be  guilty  of 
an  untruth,  I  am  afraid  I  told  some  half  dozen  on  this  occasion; 
but  I  consoled  myself  with  the  reflection  that,  in  the  code  of 
honour  of  a  fashionable  man,  he  is  bound,  if  necessary,  to  tell 
falsehoods  where  a  lady  is  concerned  ;  so  I  said  I  had  driven 
through  the  streets  looking  at  the  houses,  and  had  twice  stop- 
ped, and  had  gone  in  to  examine  them.  My  father  supposed 
that  I  had  been  looking  out  for  a  house  for  him,  and  was  satis- 
fied. Fortunately  they  were  job  horses  ;  had  they  been  his 
own,  I  should  have  been  in  a  severe  scrape.  Horses  are  the 
only  part  of  an  establishment  for  which  the  gentlemen  have  anj 
consideration,  and  on  which  ladies  have  no  mercy. 

J  had  promised  the  next  day  to  dine  with  Mr.  Mastertoa 
My  father  had  taken  a  great  aversion  to  this  old  gentleman 
until  I  had  narrated  the  events  of  my  life,  in  which  he  had 


JAPHET,    IN   SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  403 

played  such  a  conspicuous  and  friendly  part.  Then,  to  do  my 
father  justice,  his  heart  warmed  towards  him. 

"My  dear  sir,  I  have  promised  to  dine  out  to  day." 

"  With  whom,  Japhet  ?" 

"  Why,  sir,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  with  that  '  old  thief  of  a 
lawyer.'" 

"  I  am  very  much  shocked  at  your  using  such  an  expression 
toward  one  who  has  been  such  a  sincere  friend,  Japhet  ;  and 
you  will  oblige  me,  sir,  by  not  doing  so  again  in  my  presence." 

"  I  really  beg  your  pardon,  general,"  replied  I,  "  but  I 
thought  to  please  you." 

"  Please  me  !  what  do  you  think  of  me  ?  please  me,  sir,  by 
showing  yourself  ungrateful  I — I  am  ashamed  of  you,  sir." 

"  My  dear  father,  I  borrowed  the  expression  from  you.  You 
called  Mr.  Masterton  '  an  old  thief  of  a  lawyer '  to  his  face  :  he 
complained  to  me  of  the  language  before  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  you.  I  feel,  and  always  shall  feel,  the  highest  respect, 
love,  and  gratitude  towards  him.  Have  I  your  permission  to 
go?" 

"  Yes,  Japhet,"  replied  my  father,  looking  very  grave,  "  and 
do  me  the  favour  to  apologise  for  me  to  Mr.  Masterton  for  my 
having  used  such  an  expression  in  my  unfortunate  warmth  of 
temper — I  aro  ashamed  of  mysetf." 

"  My  dearest  father,  no  man  need  be  ashamed  who  is  so  ready 
to  make  honourable  reparation  :  we  are  all  a  little  out  of  tem- 
per at  times." 

"  You  have  been  a  kind  friend  to  me,  Japhet,  as  well  as  a 
good  eon,"  replied  my  father,  with  some  emotion.  "  Don't  for- 
get the  apology  at  all  events :  I  shall  be  unhappy  until  it  be 
nade." 


404  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 


CHAPTER   LXXVII. 

TREATS  OF   APOLOGIES,   AND  LOVE  COMING  FROM    CHURCH—  ws 

FINESSE  WITH  THE  NABOB  TO  WIN  ME  A  WIFE 1  AH  SUC- 
CESSFUL IN  MY  SUIT,  YET  THE  LAWYER  IS  STILL  TO  PLAV  THE 
CARDS  TO  ENABLE  ME  TO  WIN  THE  GAME. 

I  ARRIVED  at  Mr.  Masterton's,  and  walked  into  his  room,  when 
whom  should  I  find  in  company  with  him  but  Harcourt. 

"  Japhet,  I'm  glad  to  see  you  :  allow  me  to  introduce  you  to 
Mr.  Harcourt — Mr.  De  Benyon,"  and  the  old  gentleman  grinned 
maliciously,  but  I  was  not  to  be  taken  aback. 

"  Harcourt,"  said  I,  extending  my  hand,  "  I  have  to  apologise 
to  you  for  a  rude  reception  and  for  unjust  suspicions,  but  I  v/aa 
vexed  at  the  time — if  you  will  admit  that  as  an  excuse." 

"  My  dear  Japhet,"  replied  Harcourt,  taking  my  hand  and 
shaking  it  warmly,  "  I  have  to  apologise  to  you  for  much  more 
unworthy  behaviour,  and  it  will  be  a  great  relief  to  my  mind  if 
you  will  once  more  enrol  me  in  the  list  of  your  friends." 

"  And  now,  Mr.  Masterton,"  said  I,  "  as  apologies  appear  to 
be  the  order  of  the  day,  I  bring  you  one  from  the  general,  who 
has  requested  me  to  make  one  to  you  for  having  called  you  '  an 
old  thief  of  a  lawyer,'  of  which  he  was  totally  ignorant  until  I 
reminded  him  of  it  to-day." 

Harcourt  burst  into  a  laugh. 

"  Well,  Japhet,  you  may  tell  your  old  tiger,  that  I  did  not 
feel  particularly  affronted,  as  I  took  his  expression  profession- 
ally and  not  personally,  and  if  he  meant  it  in  that  sense,  he  was 
not  far  wrong.  Japhet,  to-morrow  is  Sunday  ;  do  you  go  to 
meeting  or  to  church  ?" 

"  I  believe,  sir,  that  I  shall  go  to  church." 

"  Well,  then,  come  with  me  : — be  here  at  half-past  two — we 
will  go  to  evening  service  at  St.  James's." 

"  I  have  received  many  invitations,  but  I  never  yet  received 
an  invitation  to  go  to  church,"  replied  I. 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF   A    FATHER.  405 

"  You  will  hear  an  extra  lesson  of  the  day — a  portion  of 
Susannah  and  the  Elders." 

I  took  the  equivoque,  which  was  incomprehensible  to  Har- 
court :  I  hardly  need  say,  that  the  latter  and  I  were  on  the 
best  terms.  When  we  separated,  Harcourt  requested  leave  to 
call  upon  me  the  next  morning,  and  Mr.  Masterton  said  that  he 
thould  also  pay  his  respects  to  the  tiger,  as  he  invariably  called 
my  most  honoured  parent. 

Harcourt  was  with  me  very  soon  after  breakfast  ;  and  after 
I  had  introduced  him  to  my  "  Governor,"  we  retired  to  talk 
without  interruption. 

"  I  have  much  to  say  to  you,  De  Benyon,"  commenced  Har- 
conrt :  "  first  let  me  tell  yon,  that  after  I  rose  from  my  bed, 
and  discovered  that  you  had  disappeared,  I  resolved,  if  possi- 
ble, to  find  you  out  p.nd  induce  you  to  come  back.  Timothy, 
who  looked  very  sly  at  me,  would  tell  me  nothing,  but  that  the 
last  that  was  heai-'i  of  you  was  at  Lady  de  Clare's,  at  Rich- 
mond. Having  iio  other  clue,  I  went  down  there,  introduced 
myself,  and,  as  they  will  tell  you,  candidly  acknowledged  that 
I  had  treated  you  ill.  I  then  requested  that  they  would  give 
me  any  clue  by  which  you  might  be  found,  for  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  offering  to  yon  a  situation  which  was  at  my  father's 
disposal,  and  which  any  gentleman  might  have  accepted, 
although  it  was  not  very  lucrative." 

"  It  was  very  kind  of  you,  Harcourt." 

"  Do  not  say,  that,  I  beg.  It  was  thus  that  I  formed  an 
acquaintance  with  Lady  de  Clare  and  her  daughter,  whose  early 
history,  as  Flcta,  I  had  obtained  from  you,  but  whom  I  little 
imagined  to  be  the  little  girl  that  you  had  so  generously  pro- 
tected ;  for  it  was  not  until  after  I  had  deserted  you,  that  you 
had  discovered  her  parentage.  The  extreme  interest  relative 
to  you  evinced  by  both  the  mother  and  the  daughter  surprised 
me.  They  had  heard  of  my  name  from  you,  but  not  of  oiu 
quarrel.  They  urged  me,  and  thanked  me  for  proposing  to 
follow  you  and  find  you  out :  I  did  make  every  attempt.  I 
went  to  Brentford,  inquired  at  all  the  public  houses,  and  of  al) 


406  JAPHET,    IX    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER. 

the  coachmen  who  went  down  the  road,  but  could  obtain  no  in- 
formation, except  that  at  one  public  house  a  gentleman  stopped 
with  a  portmanteau,  and  soon  afterwards  went  away  with  it 
on  his  shoulders.  I  returned  to  Richmond  with  the  tidings  of 
my  ill-success  about  a  week  after  I  had  first  called  there. 
Cecilia  was  much  affected,  and  cried  very  bitterly.  I  could  not 
help  asking  Lady  de  Clare  why  she  took  such  a  strong  interest 
in  your  fortunes.  '  Who  ought,'  replied  Cecilia,  '  if  his  poor 
Fleta  does  not  T  '  Good  Heavens  !  Miss  de  Clare,  are  you  the 
little  Fleta  whom  he  found  with  the  gipsies,  and  talked  to  me 
so  much  about  ?;  '  Did  you  not  know  it  T  said  Lady  de  Clare. 
I  then  explained  to  her  all  that  had  latterly  passed  between  us, 
and  they  in  return  communicated  your  events  and  dangers  in 
Ireland.  Thus  was  an  intimacy  formed,  and  ever  since  I  have 
been  constantly  welcome  at  their  house.  I  did  not,  however, 
abandon  my  inquiries  for  many  months,  when  I  thought  it  was 
useless,  and  I  had  to  console  poor  Cecilia,  who  constantly 
mourned  for  you.  And  now,  Japhet,  I  must  make  my  story 
short :  I  could  not  help  admiring  a  young  person  who  showed 
so  much  attachment  and  gratitude  joined  to  such  personal  at- 
tractions ;  but  she  was  an  heiress,  and  I  was  a  younger  brother. 
Still  Lady  de  Clare  insisted  upon  my  coming  to  the  house  ;  and 
I  was  undecided  how  to  act,  when  the  unfortunate  death  of  my 
elder  brother  put  me  in  a  situation  to  aspire  to  her  hand. 
After  that  my  visits  were  more  frequent ;  and  I  was  tacitly 
received  as  a  suitor  by  Lady  de  Clare,  and  had  no  reason  to 
complain  of  the  treatment  I  received  from  Cecilia.  Such  was 
the  position  of  affairs  until  the  day  on  which  you  broke  in  upon 
us  so  unexpectedly  ;  and  at  the  very  moment  that  you  came  in, 
I  had,  with  the  sanction  of  her  mother,  made  an  offer  to  Cecilia, 
and  was  anxiously  awaiting  an  answer  from  her  own  dear  lips. 
Can  you,  therefore,  be  surprised,  Japhet,  at  there  being  a  degree 
of  constraint  on  all  sides  at  the  interruption  occasioned  by  the 
presence  of  one  who  had  long  been  considered  lost  to  us  ? 
Or  that  a  young  person  just  deciding  upon  the  most  important 
btep  of  her  life  should  feel  confused  and  agitated  at  the 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH   OF   A   FATHER.  407 

entrance  of  a  third  party,  however  dear  he  might  be  to  her 
as  a  brother  and  benefactor  ?" 

"  I  am  perfectly  satisfied,  Harcourt,"  replied  I ;  "  and  I  will 
go  there,  and  make  my  peace  as  soon  as  I  can." 

"Indeed,  Japhet,  if  you  knew  the  distress  of  Cecilia,  yon 
would  pity  and  love  her  more  than  ever.  Her  mother  is  also 
uiuch  annoyed.  As  soon  as  you  were  gone,  they  desired  me  to 
hasten  after  you  and  bring  you  back.  Cecilia  had  not  yet 
given  her  answer :  I  requested  it  before  my  departure  ;  but,  1 
presume  to  stimulate  me,  she  declared  that  she  would  give  me 
no  answer  until  I  re-appeared  with  you.  This  is  now  three  weeks 
ago,  and  I  have  not  dared  to  go  there.  I  have  been  trying  all 
I  can  to  see  you  again  since  you  repulsed  me  at  the  Piazza,  but 
without  success,  until  I  went  to  Mr.  Masterton,  and  begged 
him  to  procure  me  an  interview.  I  thank  God  it  has  suc- 
ceeded." 

"  Well,  Harcourt,  you  shall  see  Cecilia  to-morrow  morning, 
if  you  please." 

"Japhet,  what  obligations  I  am  under  to  you  !  Had  it  not 
been  for  you  I  never  should  have  known  Cecilia  ;  and  more, 
were  it  not  for  your  kindness,  I  might  perhaps  lose  her  for 
ever." 

"  Not  so,  Harcourt ;  it  was  your  own  good  feeling  prompting 
you  to  find  me  out,  which  introduced  you  to  Cecilia,  and  I  wish 
you  joy  with  all  my  heart.  This  is  a  strange  world — who 
would  have  imagined  that,  in  little  Fleta,  I  was  picking  up  a 
wife  for  a  man  whose  life  I  nearly  took  away  ?  I  will  ask  my 
'  Governor'  for  his  carriage  to-morrow,  and  will  call  and  take 
you  up  at  your  lodgings  at  two  o'clock,  if  that  hour  will  suit 
you.  I  will  tell  you  all  that  has  passed  since  I  absconded, 
when  we  are  at  Lady  Clare's  :  one  story  will  do  for  all." 

Harcourt  then  took  his  leave,  and  I  returned  to  my  father, 
with  whom  I  found  Lord  Windermear. 

"  De  Benyon,  I  am  happy  to  see  you  again,"  said  his  lord- 
ship. "  I  have  just  been  giving  a  very  good  character  of  you 
to  the  general  ;  I  hope  you  will  continue  to  deserve  it." 


408  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  I  hope  so  too,  my  lord  ;  I  should  be  ungrateful,  indeed,  if 
1  did  not,  after  my  father's  kindness  to  me." 

Mr.  Masterton  was  then  introduced :  Lord  Windermear 
shook  hands  with  him,  and  after  a  short  conversation  took  his 
leave. 

"  Japhet,"  said  Mr.  Masterton,  aside,  "  I  have  a  little  busi 
ness  with  your  father  ;  get  out  of  the  room  any  way  you  think 
best." 

44  There  are  but  two  ways,  my  dear  sir,"  replied  I.  "  the  door 
or  the  windows  :  with  your  permission,  I  will  .select  the  former, 
as  the  most  agreeable  ;"  so  saying,  I  went  to  my  own  room. 
What  passed  between  the  general  and  Mr.  Masterton  I  did  not 
know  until  afterwards,  but  they  were  closeted  upwards  of  an 
hour,  when  I  was  sent  for  by  Mr.  Masterton. 

14  Japhet,  you  said  you  would  go  with  me  to  hear  the  new 
preacher  ;  we  have  no  time  to  lose  ;  so,  general,  I  shah1  take 
jiy  leave  and  run  away  with  your  son/' 

I  followed  Mr.  Masterton  into  his  carriage,  and  we  drove  to 
the  lodging  of  Mr.  Cophagus.  Susauuah  was  all  ready,  and  Mr. 
Mastertou  went  up  stairs  and  brought  her  down.  A  blush 
and  a  sweet  smile  illumined  her  features  when  she  perceived  me 
stowed  away  in  the  corner  of  the  chariot.  We  drove  off,  and 
somehow  or  another  our  hands  again  met,  and  did  not  sepa- 
rate until  we  arrived  at  the  church  door.  Susannah  had  the 
same  dress  on  as  when  she  had  accompanied  me  in  my  father's 
carriage.  1  went  through  the  responses  with  her,  reading  out 
of  the  same  book,  and  I  never  felt  more  inclined  to  be  devout, 
for  I  was  happy,  and  grateful  to  Heaven  for  my  happiness. 
When  the  service  was  over,  we  were  about  to  enter  the  car- 
riage, when  who  should  accost  us  but  Harcourt. 

"  You  are  surprised  to  see  me  here,"  said  he  to  Mr.  Master 
ton  :  "  but  I  thought  there  must  be  something  very  attractive, 
that  you  should  make  an  appointment  with  Japhet  to  go  to  this 
church,  and  as  I  am  very  fond  of  a  good  sermon,  I  determined 
to  come  and  hear  it." 

Harcourt's  ironical  look  told  me  all  he  would  say. 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  409 

"  Well,"  replied  Mr.  Masterton,  "  I  hope  you  have  been  edi- 
fied— now  get  out  of  the  way,  and  let  us  go  into  the  car- 
riage." 

"  To-morrow  at  two,  De  Benyon,"  said  Harconrt,  taking 
another  peep  at  Susannah. 

"  Yes,  punctually,"  replied  I,  as  the  carriage  drove  off. 

"  And  now,  my  dear  child,"  said  Mr.  Masterton  to  Susannah; 
*a  the  carriage  rolled  along,  "  tell  me,  have  you  been  dis- 
appointed, or  do  you  agree  with  me?  You  have  attended 
a  meeting  of  your  own  persuasion  this  morning — yon  have  now, 
for  the  first  time,  listened  to  the  ritual  of  the  Established 
Church.  To  which  do  you  give  the  preference  ?" 

"  I  will  not  deny,  sir,  tL<*c  I  think,  in  departing  from  the 
forms  of  worship,  those  of  my  persuasion  did  not  do  wisely. 
I  would  not  venture  thus  much  to  say,  but  you  support  me 
in  my  judgment." 

"You  have  answered  like  u  good,  sensible  girl,  and  have 
proved  that  you  can  think  for  yourself ;  but  observe,  my  child, 
I  have  persuaded  for  you  once,  and  once  only,  to  enter  our 
place  of  worship,  that  you  might  compare  and  judge  for  your- 
self :  it  now  remains  for  you  to  decide  as  you  please." 

"  I  would  that  some  better  qualified  would  decide  for  me," 
replied  Susannah,  gravely. 

"Your  husband,  Susannah,"  whispered  I,  "must  take  that 
responsibility  upon  himself.  Is  he  not  the  proper  person  ?" 

Susannah  slightly  pressed  my  hand,  which  held  hers,  and 
said  nothing.  As  soon  as  we  had  conveyed  her  home,  Mr. 
Masterton  offered  to  do  me  the  same  kindness,  which  I  ac- 
cepted. 

"Now,  Japhet,  I  dare  say  that  you  would  like  to  know 
what  it  was  I  had  so  particular  to  say  to  the  old  general  this 
morning." 

"  Of  course  I  would,  sir,  if  it  concerned  me." 

"  It  did  concern  you,  for  we  had  not  been  two  minutes  in 
conversation,  before  you  were  brought  on  the  tapis  :  he  spoke 
if  you  with  tears  in  his  eyes — of  what  a  comfort  yon  had  been 

18 


410  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER 

to  him,  and  how  happy  you  had  made  him  ;  and  that  he  could 
not  bear  you  to  be  away  from  him  for  half  an  hour.  On  that 
hint  I  spake,  and  observed  that  he  must  not  expect  you  to  con- 
tinue in  retirement  long,  neither  must  he  blame  you,  that  when 
he  had  set  up  his  establishment,  you  would  be  as  great  a 
favourite  as  you  were  before,  and  be  unable,  without  giving 
offence,  to  refuse  the  numerous  invitations  which  you  would 
receive.  In  short,  that  it  was  nothing  but  right  you  should 
resume  your  position  in  society,  and  it  was  his  duty  to  submit 
to  it.  The  old  '  Governor '  did  not  appear  to  like  my  observa- 
tions, and  said  he  expected  otherwise  from  you.  I  replied  '  that 
it  was  impossible  to  change  our  natures  ;  and  the  other  sex 
would  naturally  have  attractions  which  you  would  not  be  able 
to  resist,  and  that  they  would  occupy  a  large  portion  of  your 
time.  The  only  way  to  insure  his  company,  my  dear  sir,  is  to 
marry  him  to  a  steady,  amiable  young  woman,  who,  not  hav- 
ing been  thrown  into  the  vortex  of  fashion,  will  find  pleasure  in 
domestic  life.  Then  her  husband  will  become  equally  domestic, 
and  you  will  be  all  very  happy  together.'  Your  father  agreed 
with  me,  and  appeared  very  anxious  that  it  should  take  place. 
I  then  very  carefully  introduced  Miss  Temple,  saying,  that  I 
knew  you  had  a  slight  partiality  in  that  quarter,  highly  com- 
mending her  beauty,  prudence,  &c.  I  stated,  that  feeling  an 
interest  about  you,  I  had  gone  down  into  the  country  where  she 
resided,  and  had  made  her  acquaintance,  and  had  been  much 
pleased  with  her ;  that  since  she  had  come  up  to  town  with  her 
relations,  I  had  seen  a  great  deal,  and  had  formed  so  high  an 
opinion  of,  and  so  strong  an  attachment  to  her,  and  had  felt  so 
convinced  that  she  was  the  very  person  who  would  make  you 
happy  and  domestic,  that  having  no  family  myself,  I  had  some 
idea  of  adopting  her.  At  all  events,  that  if  she  married  you,  I 
was  determined  to  give  her  something  very  handsome  on  the 
day  of  the  wedding." 

"  But,  my  dear  sir,  why  should  you  not  have  said  that  Susan- 
nah Temple  was  left  an  orphan  at  seven  years  old,  and  her  for- 
tune has  accumulated  ever  since  ?  It  is  by  no  means  despicable. 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  411 

I  nnderstanrl,  from  Mr.  Cophagus  ;  and,  moreover,  Mr.  Copha 
gus  intends  to  leave  her  nil  his  property." 

"I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it,  Japhet,  and  will  not  fail  to 
communicate  all  this  to  your  father  ;  but  there  is  no  reason 
why  I  may  not  do  as  I  please  with  my  own  money — and  I  love 
that  girl  dearly.  By-the-by,  have  you  ever  said  any  thing  to 
her  ?» 

"  O  yes,  sir,  we  are  pledged  to  each  other." 

"  That's  all  right :  I  thought  so,  when  I  saw  your  fingers 
hooked  together  iu  the  carriage.  But  now,  Japhet,  1  should 
recommend  a  little  indifference — not  exactly  opposition,  when 
your  father  proposes  the  subject  to  you.  It  will  make  him 
more  anxious,  and  when  you  consent,  more  obliged  to  you.  I 
have  promised  to  call  upon  him  to-morrow,  on  that  and  othei 
business,  and  you  had  better  be  out  of  t!ie  way." 

"  I  shall  be  out  of  the  way,  sir :  I  mean  to  go  with  Harcourt 
to  Lady  de  Clare's.  I  shall  ask  for  the  carriage." 

"  He  will  certainly  lend  it  to  you,  as  he  wishes  to  get  rid  of 
you ;  but  here  we  are ;  God  bless  you,  rny  boy." 


CHAPTER  LXXVIII. 

TUB  BENGAL  TIGER  TAKEN  IN  THE  TOILS,  WHICH  PROMISE  A  SPEEDY 
END  TO  MINE — I  KINDLY  PERMIT  MY  FATHER  TO  INSIST  UPON  THH 
MARRIAGE  THAT  I  HAVE  SET  MY  HEART  UPON. 

I  FOUND  my  father,  who  had  now  completely  recovered  from  his 
accident,  walking  up  and  down  the  room  in  a  brown  study. 
He  did  not  speak  to  rae  until  after  dinner,  when  he  commenced 
with  asking  some  questions  relative  to  Cecilia  do  Clare.  I 
replied,  "  that  I  intended,  if  he  did  not  want  the  carriage,  to 
call  there  to-morrow  with  Mr.  Harcourt." 
"Is  she  very  handsome?"  inquired  he. 


412  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  Very  much  so,  sir.  I  do  not  think  I  ever  saw  a  handsomer 
young  person.  Yes,  I  do  recollect  one." 

"  Who  was  that  ?" 

"  A  young  lady  with  whom  I  was  slightly  acquainted,  when 
living  in  the  country." 

"I  have  been  thinking,  my  dear  boy,  that  with  the  com- 
petence which  you  will  have,  it  is  right  that  you  should  marry 
early  :  in  so  doing  you  will  oblige  your  father,  who  is  anxious 
to  see  his  grandchildren  before  he  dies.  My  health  is  not  very 
good." 

I  could  not  help  smiling  at  this  pathetic  touch  of  the  old 
"  governor's,"  who,  if  one  could  judge  from  appearances,  was 
as  stroug  as  a  lion,  and  likely  to  last  almost  as  long  as  his 
dutiful  son.  Moreover,  his  appetite  was  enormous,  and  he 
invariably  finished  his  bottle  every  day.  I  did  not,  there- 
fore, feel  any  serious  alarm  as  to  his  health  ;  but  I  never- 
theless replied,  "  Matrimony  is  a  subject  upon  which  I  have 
never  thought,"  —  (a  hem !  a  De  Benyon  never  tells  an 
untruth!)  "I  am  very  young  yet,  and  am  too  happy  to 
remain  with  you." 

"  But,  ray  dear  boy,  I  propose  that  you  shall  remain  with 
me — we  will  all  live  together.  I  do  not  intend  that  we  shall 
part.  I  really  wish,  Japhet,  you  would  think  seriously  of  it." 

"  My  dear  father,  allow  me  to  observe,  that  at  present  I 
am  not  in  a  situation  to  support  a  wife,  and  I  should  be  sorry 
to  be  a  tax  upon  you,  at  your  age  :  you  require  many  com- 
forts and  luxuries,  and  I  presume  that  you  live  up  to  your 
income." 

"  Then,  my  dear  fellow,  you  are  under  a  great  mistake.  I 
can  lay  down  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  on  the  day  of  your 
marriage,  with  any  lady  whom  I  approve  of,  and  still  not  spend 
half  my  remaining  income." 

"  That,  sir,"  replied  I,  "  certainly  removes  one  difficulty,  at 
the  same  time  that  it  proves  what  a  generous  and  indulgent 
father  I  am  blessed  with  ;  but,  sir,  with  such  a  fortune,  I  havo 
a  right  to  expect  that  the  lady  will  also  bring  a  handsome 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  413 

addition.  Miss  De  Clare  is  engaged  I  believe,  to  Mr.  Har- 
court,  or  I  might  have  made  strong  interest  in  that  quarter." 

"  Something,  my  dear  boy  ;  but  a  moderate  fortune  now-a« 
days  is  all  that  we  expect  with  wives,  and  the  best  wives  are 
those  who  are  not  born  to  too  much  wealth  ;  still  she  should 
bring  something  ;  but  tell  me,  Japhet,  who  is  that  young  lady 
whom  you  thought  handsomer  than  Miss  De  Clare  ?" 

"  A.  Miss  Temple,  sir." 

"  Temple — it  is  a  very  good  name.  I  think  girls  brought  up 
in  the  country  make  the  best  wives." 

"  They  do,  sir,  most  certainly  :  they  are  more  domestic,  and 
make  their  husbands  more  content  and  happy  at  home." 

"  Well,  my  dear  boy,  I  have  mentioned  the  subject,  and  wish 
you  would  think  of  it.  You  will  please  me  much." 

"  My  dear  father,  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  obey  in  every 
thing  else,  but  hi  so  serious  a  point  as  uniting  myself  for  life,  I 
think  you  must  allow  that  a  little  discretionary  power  should 
be  given  to  a  son.  All  I  can  say  is  this,  show  me  a  young  per 
son  who  is  eligible,  and  if  I  find  that  I  can  love  her,  I  will  not 
refuse  to  obey  your  wishes." 

"  Well,  sir,  do  as  you  please,"  replied  my  father  very  angrily, 
"  but  I  think,  sir,  when  I  desire  you  to  fall  in  love  it  is  your 
duty  to  obey." 

"  Suppose  I  was  to  fall  in  love  with  a  person  you  did  not  like, 
would  you  allow  me  to  marry  her  ?" 

11  Most  certainly  not,  sir." 

"  Then,  sir,  is  it  reasonable  to  expect  me  to  marry  without 
being  in  love  ?" 

"  I  did  not  marry  for  love,  sir." 

"  No,"  replied  I,  forgetting  myself  a  little  ;  "  and  a  pretty 
mess  you  made  of  it." 

"  I  did,"  rejoined  my  father  in  a  rage,  "  by  begetting  an  un- 
dutiful,  good-for-nothing,  graceless,  insolent,  ungrateful  son." 

"  My  dear  father,  I  was  not  aware  that  I  had  a  brother." 

41 1  mean  yon,  sir." 

"  To  prove  to  you  how  unjust  you  are,  sir,  and  how  little  1 


414  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

deserve  what  you  have  called  me,  I  now  promise  yon  to  marry 
as  soon  as  you  wish." 

"  Thank  you,  my  boy,  that's  kind  of  you  ;  but  I  will  say  that 
you  are  a  comfort  and  a  treasure  to  me,  and  I  bloss  the  day 
that  brought  you  to  my  arms.  Well,  then,  look  about  you." 

"  No,  sir,  I  leave  it  all  to  you  ;  select  the  party,  aiul  1  am 
willing  to  obey  you." 

"  My  dear  boy  !  Well,  then,  I'll  talk  the  matter  over  with 
Mr.  Masterton  to-morrow,"  and  the  general  shook  me  warmly 
by  the  hand. 

The  next  day  I  picked  up  Harcourt,  and  proceeded  to  Park 
Street.  A  note  from  him  had  informed  them  of  our  intended 
visit,  and  other  visiters  had  been  denied.  "  All  has  been  ex- 
plained, Cecilia,"  said  I,  after  the  first  greeting  :  "I  was  very 
wrong,  and  very  foolish." 

"  And  made  me  very  miserable.  I  little  thought  that  you, 
Japhet,  would  have  made  me  cry  so  much  ;  but  I  forgive  you 
for  it,  as  I  would  a  thousand  times  as  much  more.  Now  sit 
down  and  tell  us  all  that  has  happened  since  yon  left  us." 

"  Not  yet,  my  dear  Cecilia.  You,  as  well  as  I,  owe  a  repa- 
ration to  poor  Harcourt,  whom,  I  think,  you  have  treated 
cruelly.  You  were  about  to  answer  a  question  of  vital  moment 
when  I  broke  in  upon  you,  and  you  have  since  kept  him  in  a 
state  of  cruel  suspense  for  more  than  three  weeks,  refusing  him 
an  answer  until  he  brought  me  into  your  presence.  An  hour  of 
such  suspense  must  be  dreadful,  and  before  we  sit  down,  I  wish 
every  one  should  feel  comfortable  and  happy." 

"  It  was  not  altogether  to  stimulate  Mr.  Harconrt  to  bring 
you  back,  which  induced  me  to  refuse  to  answer  his  ques- 
tion, Japhet.  I  considered  that  your  return  had  rendered  it 
necessary  that  it  should  be  deferred  untU  I  saw  you.  I  have 
not  forgotten,  Japhet,  and  never  forget-,  what  I  was  when  you 
rescued  me  ;  and  when  I  think  what  I  might  have  been  had 
you  not  saved  me,  I  shudder  at  the  bare  idea.  I  have  not  for 
gotten  how  you  risked,  and  nearly  lost  your  life  in  Ireland  for 
my  sake — neither  has  my  mother.  We  are  beholden  to  you  for 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.  415 

all  our  present  happiness,  and  I  am  eternally  indebted  to  yon 
for  rescning  me  from  ignorance,  poverty,  and  perhaps  vice. 
You  have  betu  more,  much  more,  than  a  father  to  me — more, 
much  more,  than  a  brother.  I  am,  as  it  were,  a  creature  of 
your  own  fd>hioning,  and  I  owe  to  you  that  which  I  never  can 
repay.  When,  then,  you  returned  so  unexpectedly,  Japhet,  I 
felt  that  you  had  a  paramount  right  in  my  disposal,  and  I  was 
glad  that  I  had  not  replied  to  Mr.  Harcourt,  as  I  wished  first 
for  your  sanction  and  approval.  I  know  all  that  has  passed 
between  you,  but  I  know  not  your  real  feelings  towards  Mr. 
Harcourt :  he  acknowledges  that  he  treated  you  very  ill,  and  it 
was  his  sincere  repentance  of  having  so  done,  and  his  praise  of 
you,  which  first  won  my  favour.  And  now,  Japhet,  if  you  have 
still  animosity  against  Mr.  Harcourt — if  you " 

"  Stop,  my  dear  Fleta,  I  will  answer  all  your  questions  at 
once."  I  took  Harcourt's  hand,  and  placed  it  in  hers.  "  May 
God  bless  you  both,  and  may  you  be  happy  I" 

Cecilia  threw  her  arms  round  me  and  wept ;  so  did  every 
body  else,  I  believe.  It  was  lucky  for  Harcourt  that  I  was  in 
love  with  Susannah  Temple.  As  soon  as  Cecilia  had  recovered 
a  little,  I  kissed  her,  and  passed  her  over  to  her  right  owner, 
who  led  her  to  the  sofa.  Lady  de  Clare  and  I  went  out  of  the 
room  on  important  business,  and  did  not  return  for  a  quarter 
of  an  hour.  When  we  returned,  Cecilia  went  to  her  mother 
and  embraced  her,  while  Harcourt  silently  squeezed  my  hand. 
We  then  all  sat  down,  and  I  gave  them  an  account  of  all 
that  had  passed  during  my  second  excursion — how  I  had  nearly 
been  hanged — how  I  had  gone  mad — how  1  had  turned  Quaker 
and  apothecary — which  they  all  agreed,  with  what  had  hap- 
pened to  me  before,  ruude  up  a  very  eventful  history. 

"  And,  Juphet,  if  it  be  a  fair  question  about  cne  so  fair,  was 
that  Miss  Temple  who  was  at  church  with  you  yesterday  ?" 

"  It  was." 

11  Then,  Cecilia,  if  ever  she  appears  in  the  same  circle,  except 
in  my  eyes,  your  beauty  will  stand  in  some  danger  of  being 
eclipsed." 


416  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

"  How  can  you  say  except  in  your  eyes,  Mr.  Harcourt," 
replied  Cecilia,  "  the  very  observation  proves  that  it  is  eclipsed 
in  your  eyes,  what  ever  it  may  be  in  those  of  others.  Now,  as 
a  punishment,  I  have  a  great  mind  to  order  you  away  again, 
until  you  bring  her  face  to  face,  that  I  may  judge  myself." 

"  If  I  am  again  banished,"  replied  Harcourt,  "  I  shall  have  a 
second  time  to  appeal  to  De  Benyon  to  be  able  to  come  back 
again.  He  can  produce  her,  I  have  no  doubt." 

"  And  perhaps  may,  some  of  these  days,  Cecilia." 

"  Oh  1  do,  Japhet.    I  will  love  her  so." 

"  You  must  wait  a  little  first.  I  am  not  quite  so  far 
advanced  as  you  and  Harcourt.  I  have  not  received  the  con- 
sent of  all  parties,  as  you  have  to-day.  But  I  must  now  leave 
you.  Harcourt,  I  presume  you  will  dine  here.  I  must  dine 
with  my  '  Governor.' " 

On  my  return,  I  found  that  the  table  was  laid  for  three,  and 
that  the  general  had  asked  Mr.  Masterton,  from  which  I 
augured  well.  Masterton  could  not  speak  to  me  when  he 
arrived,  but  he  give  me  a  wink  and.  a  smile,  and  I  was  satisfied. 
"  Japhet,"  said  iny  father,  "  you  have  no  engagement  to-mor- 
row, I  hope,  because  I  shall  call  at  Mr.  Mastertou's  on  business, 
and  wish  you  to  accompany  me." 

I  replied,  that  "  I  should  be  most  happy,"  and  the  conversa- 
tion became  general. 

I  accompanied  my  father  next  day  to  Lincoln's  Inn  ;  and 
when  we  went  up,  we  found  Mr.  Masterton  at  the  table  with 
Mr.  Cophagus,  and  Susannah  sitting  apart  near  the  window. 
"  The  plot  thickens,"  thought  I.  The  fact  was,  as  I  was  after- 
wards told  by  Mr.  Masterton,  he  had  prevailed  upon  Cophagus 
to  pretend  business,  and  to  bring  Susannah  with  him,  and 
appointed  them  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  our  time.  This  he 
had  arranged,  that  the  general  might  see  Miss  Temple,  as  if  by 
accident ;  and  also  allow  me,  who,  my  father  supposed,  was 
not  aware  of  Miss  Temple  being  in  town,  to  meet  with  her. 
What  a  deal  of  humbug  there  is  in  this  world  !  Nothing  but 
plot  and  counterplot  I  I  shook  hands  with  Cophagus,  who,  I 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          41? 

perceived,  had,  notwithstanding  his  wife's  veto,  put  on  his  blue 
cotton-net  pantaloons  and  Hessian  boots,  and  he  appeared  tc 
be  so  tight  in  both,  that  he  could  hardly  move.  As  far  as  I 
could  judge,  his  legs  had  not  unproved  since  I  had  last  seen 
them  in  this  his  favourite  dress. 

"  Mr.  De  Benyon,  I  believe  that  you  have  met  Miss  Temple 
before,"  said  Mr.  Masterton,  winking  at  me.  "  In  Berkshire 
was  it  not  ?  Miss  Temple,  allow  me  to  introduce  General 
De  Benyon." 

I  went  up  to  Susannah,  who  coloured  and  trembled  at  the 
sight  of  my  father,  as  I  expressed  my  hope  that  she  had  been 
well  since  we  last  met.  She  perceived  that  there  was  some 
planned  scheme,  and  was  so  puzzled  that  she  said  nothing. 
My  father  then  spoke  to  her,  and  after  a  short  time  took  a 
chair,  and  seated  himself  close  to  her.  I  never  knew  her  make 
herself  so  agreeable.  He  asked  her  where  she  was  staying,  and 
when  he  heard  that  it  was  with  Mr.  Cophagus,  he  said  that  he 
should  have  the  pleasure  of  calling  upon  Mr.  Cophagus,  atd 
thank  him  for  his  kind  information  relative  to  me.  Shortly  af- 
terward Cophagus  took  his  leave,  and  Susannah  rose  to  accom- 
pany him,  when  my  father,  hearing  that  they  had  walked, 
insisted  upon  putting  Miss  Temple  down  in  his  carriage.  So 
that  Mr.  Cophagus  had  to  walk  home  one  way,  and  I  the  other 


CHAPTER   LXXIX. 

POOR   COPHAGUS   FINDS  AN   END  TO   HIS  ADVENTURES  DY  THE  MEANS 

OF  A  MAD  BULL;  I,  OF  MINE,  BY  MATRIMONY — FATHER  is  PRET- 
TILY BEHAVED,  AND  MY  QUAKER  WIFE  THE  MOST  FASHIONABLY 
DRESSED  LADY  IN  TOWN — VERILY  1  HUM  I 

ALAS  !  little  did  Mr.  Cophagus  know  how  fatal  to  him  would 
IK;  the  light  cotton-nets  when  he  put  them  on  that  day.  He 
had  proceeded,  as  it  api>ears,  about  two-thirds  of  his  way  honm 
(he  lived  in  Wwlbeck  Struct),  when  he  perceived  a  rush  from 


418  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

up  a  street  leading  into  Oxford  Street.  He  looked  to  asccr 
tain  the  cause,  when  to  his  horror  he  perceived — what  to  him 
was  the  greatest  of  all  horrors — a  mad  bull.  If  anything 
could  make  Mr.  Cophagus  run,  it  was  a  sight  like  that,  and  he 
did  run  ;  but  he  could  not  run  fast  in  his  cotton-nets  and  tight 
Hessians,  which  crippled  him  altogether.  As  if  out  of  pure 
spite,  the  bull  singled  him  out  from  at  least  one  hundred,  who 
exerted  their  agility,  and  again  was  poor  Mr.  Cophagus  tossed 
far  behind  the  animal,  fortunately  breaking  his  fall  by  tumbling 
on  a  large  dog  who  was  in  full  chase.  The  dog,  who  was 
unable  to  crawl  from  beneath  the  unfortunate  Cophagus,  was 
still  in  a  condition  to  bite,  which  he  did  most  furiously  ;  and 
the  butcher,  who  had  an  affection  for  his  dog,  when  he  per- 
ceived its  condition,  also  vented  his  fury  upon  poor  Cophagus, 
by  saluting  him  with  several  blows  on  his  head  with  his  cudgel. 
What  between  the  bull,  the  dog,  and  the  butcher,  poor  Mr. 
Cophagus  was  taken  into  a  shop  in  a  very  deplorable  condition. 
After  some  tune  he  recovered,  and  was  able  to  name  his  resi- 
dence, when  he  was  taken  home. 

It  was  late  in  the  evening  when  I  received  a  note  from 
Susannah,  informing  me  of  that  unfortunate  accident.  My 
father  had  just  finished  a  long  story  about  filial  duty,  country 
girls,  good  wives,  &c.,  and  had  wound  up  by  saying,  that  he 
and  Mr.  Masterton  both  considered  that  Miss  Temple  would  be 
a  very  eligible  match,  and  thtt,  as  I  had  requested  him  to 
select,  he  had  selected  her  accordingly.  I  had  just  proved  how 
truly  dutiful  I  was,  by  promising  to  do  all  I  could  to  love  her, 
and  to  fulfil  his  wishes,  when  the  note  was  put  in  my  hands.  I 
read  it,  stated  its  contents  to  my  father,  and,  with  his  permis- 
sion, immediately  jumped  into  a  hackney  coach,  and  drove  to 
Welbeck  Street. 

On  my  arrival  I  found  poor  Mrs.  Cophagus  in  a  state  of  syn- 
cope, and  Susannah  attending  her.  I  sent  for  the  surgeon  who 
had  been  called  in,  and  then  went  up  to  Mr.  Cophagus.  He  was 
much  better  than  I  expected — calm,  and  quite  sensible.  His 
wounds  had  been  dressed  by  the  surgeon,  but  he  did  not  appear 


JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER.          419 

to  be  aware  of  the  extent  of  the  injury  he  had  received.  When 
the  surgeon  came  I  questioned  him.  He  informed  me  that 
although  much  hurt,  he  did  not  consider  that  there  was  any 
danger  to  be  apprehended  ;  there  were  no  bones  broken  ;  the 
only  fear  that  he  had  was,  that  there  might  be  some  internal 
injury  ;  but  at  present  that  could  not  be  ascertained.  I 
thanked  him,  and  consoled  Mrs.  Cophagus  with  this  informa- 
tion. I  then  returned  to  her  husband,  who  shook  his  head, 
and  muttered,  as  I  put  my  ear  down  to  hear  him  :  "  Thought 
so — come  to  London — full  of  mad  bulls — tossed — die — and  so 
on." 

"  0  no  I"  replied  I,  "  the  surgeon  says  that  there  is  no  dan- 
ger. You  will  be  up  in  a  week — but  now  you  must  keep  very 
quiet.  I  will  send  Mrs.  Cophagus  to  you." 

I  went  out ;  and  finding  her  composed,  I  desired  her  to  go 
to  her  husband,  who  wished  to  see  her,  and  I  was  left  alone 
with  Susannah.  I  told  her  all  that  had  passed,  and  after  two 
delightful  hours  had  escaped,  I  returned  home  to  the  hotel. 
My  father  had  waited  up  for  some  time,  and  finding  that  I  did 
not  return,  had  retired.  When  1  met  him  the  next  morning,  I 
mentioned  what  the  surgeon  had  said  ;  but  stated  that,  in  my 
opinion,  there  was  great  cause  for  alarm  in  a  man  of  Mr. 
Cophagus's  advanced  age.  My  father  agreed  with  me  ;  but 
could  not  help  pointing  out  what  a  good  opportunity  this  would 
afford  for  my  paying  my  attentions  to  Miss  Temple,  as  it  was 
natural  that  I  should  be  interested  about  so  old  a  friend  as  Mr. 
Cophagus.  My  filial  duty  inclined  me  to  reply,  that  I  should 
certainly  avail  myself  of  such  a  favourable  opportunity. 

My  adventures  are  now  drawing  to  a  close.  I  must  pass 
over  three  months,  during  which  my  father  had  taken  and  fur- 
nished a  house  in  Grosvenor  Square  ;  and  I,  whenever  I  could 
Bpare  time,  had,  under  the  auspices  of  Lord  Windermcar,  again 
been  introduced  into  the  world  as  Mr.  De  Benyon.  I  found 
that  the  new  name  was  considered  highly  respectable  ;  my 
father's  hall  tables  were  loaded  with  cards  ;  and  I  even  received 
two  dinner  invitations  from  Lady  Maelstrom,  who  told  me  how 


120  JAPHET,  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER. 

her  dear  nieces  had  wondered  what  had  become  of  ine,  and  thai 
they  were  afraid  that  Louisa  would  have  fallen  into  a  decline. 
And  during  these  three  months  Cecilia  and  Susannah  had  been 
introduced,  and  had  become  as  inseparable  as  most  young 
ladies  are,  who  have  a  lover  apiece,  and  no  cause  for  jealousy. 
Mr.  Cophagus  had  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  go  down 
into  the  country,  vowing,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  his  wife,  that 
he  never  would  put  his  foot  in  London  again.  He  asked  me 
whether  I  knew  any  place  where  there  were  no  mad  bulls,  and  I 
took  some  trouble  to  find  out,  but  I  could  not ;  for  even  if  he 
went  to  the  North  Pole,  although  there  were  no  bulls,  yet  there 
were  bull  bisons  and  musk  bulls,  which  were  even  more  savage. 
Upon  which  he  declared  that  this  was  not  a  world  to  live  in  ; 
and  to  prove  that  he  was  sincere  in  his  opinion,  poor  fellow, 
about  three  months  after  his  retirement  into  the  country,  he 
died  from  a  general  decay,  arising  from  the  shock  produced  on 
his  system.  But  before  these  three  months  had  passed,  it  had 
been  finally  arranged  that  Harcourt  and  I  were  to  be  united  on 
the  same  day  ;  and  having  renewed  my  acquaintance  with  the 
good  bishop,  whom  I  had  taxed  with  being  my  father,  he  united 
us  both  to  our  respective  partners.  My  father  made  over  to  me 
the  sum  which  he  had  mentioned.  Mr.  Masterton  gave  Susan 
nah  ten  thousand  pounds,  and  her  own  fortune  amounted  to  as 
much  more,  with  the  reversion  of  Mr.  Cophagus's  property  at 
the  decease  of  his  widow.  Timothy  came  up  to  the  wedding, 
and  I  formally  put  him  in  the  possession  of  my  shop  and  stock 
in  trade,  and  he  has  now  a  flourishing  business.  Although  he 
has  not  yet  found  his  mother,  he  has  found  a  very  pretty  wife 
which  he  says  does  quite  as  well,  if  not  better. 

Let  it  not  be  supposed  that  I  forgot  the  good  services  of 
Kathleen — who  was  soon  after  married  to  Corny.  A  small 
farm  on  Fleta's  estate  was  appropriated  to  them,  at  so  low  a 
rent,  that  in  a  few  years  they  were  able  to  purchase  the  pro- 
perty ;  and  Corny,  from  a  leveller,  as  soon  as  he  was  comforta- 
ble, became  one  of  the  government's  firmest  supporters. 

1  am  now  living  hi  the  same  house  with  my  father,  who  if 


JAPHET,    IN    SEARCH    OF    A    FATHER.  421 

very  happy,  and  behaves  pretty  well.  He  is  seldom  in  a  passion 
more  tlian  twice  a-week,  which  we  consider  as  miraculous.  Now 
that  I  am  writing  this,  he  has  his  two  grandchildren  on  his 
knees.  Mrs.  Cophagus  has  married  a  captain  in  the  Life 
Guards,  and  as  far  as  fashion  and  dress  are  concerned,  may  be 
said  to  be  "going  the  whole  hog."  And  now,  as  I  have  no 
doubt  that  my  readers  will  be  curious  to  know  whether  my 
lovely  wife  adheres  to  her  primitive  style  of  dress,  I  shall  only 
repeat  a  conversation  of  yesterday  night,  as  she  came  down 
arrayed  for  u  splendid  ball  given  by  Mrs.  Harcourt  de  Clare. 

"  Tell  me  now,  De  Beuyon,"  said  she,  "  is  not  this  a  pretty 
dress  ?" 

"  Yes,  my  dear,"  replied  I,  looking  at  her  charming  face  and 
figure  with  all  the  admiration  usual  in  the  honey-moon,  "  it  is 
indeed  ;  but  do  you  not  think,  my  dear  Susan,"  said  I,  putting 
the  tip  of  my  white  glove  upon  her  snowy  shoulder,  "  that  it  is 
cut  down  a  tittle  too  low  ?" 

"  Too  low,  De  Benyon  !  why  it's  not  half  so  low  as  Mrs. 
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"  Well,  my  dear,  I  did  not  assert  that  it  was.     I  only  asked." 

"  Well,  then,  if  you  only  asked  for  information,  De  Benyon, 
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being  the  best-dressed  woman  in  London." 

"  Verily  thou  persuadest  me,  Susannah,"  replied  I. 

"  Now,  De  Henyou,  hold  your  tongue." 

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And  now,  having  no  more  to  say,  I  shall  also  make  my  bow  to 
uiy  reivdem,  aud  bid  tliem  farewell. 

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of  the  most  extraordinary  women  of  history." — .Vrw  York  Commercial  Advertiser. 

"  A  romance  in  which  fiction  finds  no  place ;  a  charming  narrative  wherein  the 
author  fearlessly  presents  the  results  of  what  has  been  obviously  a  thorough  and  im- 
partial investigation  "—Philadelphia  Press. 

"  The  book  makes  the  best  of  reading,  because  it  is  written  without  fear  or  favor. 
.  .  .  The  volume  is  exceedingly  suggestive,  and  gives  to  the  general  reader  a  plain, 
blunt,  string,  and  somewhat  prejudiced  but  still  healthy  view  of  one  of  the  greatest 
women  of  whom  history  bears  record."—  Nno  York  Herald. 

"  The  perusal  of  such  a  book  can  not  fail  to  add  to  that  breadth  of  view  which  is 
so  essential  to  the  student  of  universal  history."— Philadelphia  Bulletin. 


New  York :  D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  r,  3,  &  5  Bond  Street. 


APPLETONS'  LIBRARY  LISTS. 


Libraries,  whether  for  the  school,  home,  or  the  public  at  large,  are 
among  the  most  important  and  wide-reaching  educational  factors  in  the 
advancement  of  civilization.  Modern  intellectual  activity,  keeping  pace 
with  modern  invention,  has  added  to  the  earlier  stores  of  literature  myriads 
of  books,  and  a  still  greater  mass  of  reading  matter  in  other  forms.  Unfor- 
tunately, much  of  the  material  put  into  print  is  not  of  an  educational  or 
elevating  character.  It  is  important,  then,  in  the  selection  of  books  for 
public  use,  especially  for  the  young,  that  great  care  be  exercised  to  secure 
only  such  kinds  of  reading  as  will  be  wholesome,  instructive,  and  intrinsic- 
ally valuable. 

For  more  than  fifty  years  Messrs.  D.  AFPLETON  <fe  Co.  have  been  en- 
gaged in  the  publication  of  the  choicest  productions  from  the  pens  of  dis- 
tinguished authors  of  the  past  and  present,  of  both  Europe  and  America, 
and  their  catalogue  of  books  now  comprises  several  thousand  volumes,  em- 
bracing every  department  of  knowledge.  Classified  lists  of  these  publica- 
tions have  been  prepared,  affording  facilities  for  a  judicious  selection  of 
books  covering  the  whole  ran^e  of  LITERATURE,  SCIENCE,  and  ART,  for 
individual  bookbuyers  or  for  a  thorough  equipment  of  any  library. 

LISTS  A,  B,  and  C  are  of  books  selected  especially  for  School  Libraries. 
List  A. — For  Primary  and  Intermediate  Grades. 
List  B. — For  Grammar  and  High  Sc/iool  Grades. 
List  C. — For  College  and  University  Libraries. 

The  other  lists  are  of  books  grouped  according  to  subjects,  and  include 
the  above. 

The  classifications  are  as  follows : 

List  D.— HISTORY.  List  O.— LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  AND 

"     E.— BIOGRAPHY.  ART. 


F. — PHYSICAL  SCIENCE. 
Q. — MENTAL  AND  MORAL  SCIENCE. 
H.— POLITICAL  AND   SOCIAL    SCI- 
ENCE. 

I. — FINANCE  AND  ECONOMICS. 
K. — HYGIENE  AND  SANITARY  Sci- 


P.— REFERENCE  BOOKS. 

O.— POETRY  AND  ESSAY. 

R.— TRAVEL  AND  ADVENTURE. 

8.— PEDAGOGY  AND  EDUCATION. 

T.— FICTION. 

U.— AMUSEMENT    AND    RECBEA- 


BNCB.  TION. 

"     L.— PHILOSOPHY  AND  METAPHYSICS.   "     V.— EVOLUTION. 
"    M. — TECHNOLOGY     AND      INDUS-      "    W. — RELIGION. 

TRIAL  ARTS.  "     X. — LAW. 

"    N. — ANTHROPOLOGY,  ETHNOLOGY,      "     Y.— MEDICINE. 

ARCHAEOLOGY,  PAL^BONTOL-      "     Z. — JUVENILE  BOOKS. 
OQY. 

AA.— UNCLASSIFIED.  BB.— SCHOOL  AND  COLLEGE  TEXT-BOOKS. 

CO.— SPANISH  PUBLICATIONS. 

We  respectfully  invite  the  attention  of  public  and  private  book-buyeri 
everywhere  to  these  lists,  confident  that  they  will  be  found  of  interest 
and  profit.  Single  lists  mailed  free.  Complete  set,  18  cents  to  cover 
postage. 

D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS, 

New  York,  Boston,  Chicago. 


